Coda
by D0ubleFelix
Summary: A treaty is nothing more than a piece of paper written years ago. Humans hate psychics, and psychics hate humans. As long as there's hate, there's conflict. And as long as there's conflict, there's war. But if Lucas made it through hell itself before, surely, he can do it again. Can the purest of hearts calm something as dark and twisted as hatred between fellow man? (SEQUEL STORY)
1. Field Mice

**NOTE: This story is a SEQUEL. Please go read "Three Days to Freedom" before this one, because you won't understand what's going on in this without the prior knowledge.**

 **"Three Days to Freedom" is probably my favourite story out of all the ones I've written. After finishing it, I was dissatisfied with the ending (particularly the insta-romance, which I admit was a bad move on my part). I also spent too much time building a word with its own politics, social prejudices, and elements, and didn't spend enough time diving into it. I was left craving more of this story, so I immediately set to work building a sequel! I hope this works out, because I loved the first story so much.**

 **Thank you very much, and remember to read the first story before this one!**

 **-Felix**

* * *

Long ago, humans and psychics were at war.

But Lucas couldn't give less of a cuss.

The boy was no stranger to tragedy. It was hard enough losing his beloved mother when he was a child. It was even harder when Claus went missing, and his father took a mental downfall. But the worst of it was that fateful night, when all of his understanding on who he was and what he was supposed to be was dashed on the rocks. Upon feeling his own brain nearly split and the veins within his body seethe with energy, experiencing the worst pain he'd ever been through, Lucas and all of Tazmily discovered the horrifying truth about himself. Perfect, innocent, shy, sweet Lucas was a Psychic. A filthy, no-good, rotten, sinful, goddamn 'kick. The moment when Lucas felt his wrists being secured to a wooden stake, wood being piled at his feet, the faces of his friends and family contorted into hate, was all the finishing blow.

But if perfect, innocent, shy, sweet Lucas knew anything about himself, he knew that he damn well wasn't gonna take any of that bullshit.

With the help of his newfound powers, his father, and an elaborate escape plan devised by his parents years ago, Lucas safely made it out of Tazmily. Even if it meant leaving behind his father. Even if it meant leaving behind the girl he loved, Nana. Lucas had to survive, for he was not going to give Tazmily the satisfaction of watching him die. Thankfully, there was a speck of light shining its way through the darkness that Lucas' life had become.

That light was Ness.

A stranger to Lucas, with an unfamiliar skin colour, an unfamiliar accent, and just unfamiliar everything. But the friendship that blossomed between the boys was anything but. Lucas owed Ness everything; he saved his life. Lucas had finally found his happiness thanks to Ness. The Onettan had risked it all to escort Lucas to his hometown, where he'd be out of harm's way. Onett was a new beginning for Lucas. A place where PSI was embraced and celebrated. All around them was PSI. The bakers would bake their daily stock with their fire, while the merchants would keep their fresh produce nice and cold with their using of PK Freeze. How Lucas adored the endless powers around him. How he'd come to love his own powers. The prejudice he once exhibited was gone, and he was now safe amoung his own kind. Never again would there be angry villagers hunting for his blood. Never again would he have to worry about being chased. Here, not only were his powers accepted, they were praised.

Lucas, despite his hatred for the practice growing up, was a very skilled Psychic. Not in the sense of his use of it; he was still a beginner in Psionics itself. But what he was capable of blew the minds of several others. His amazing ability to use such rarities as PK Starstorm, and especially PK Love, was mindblowing to the people of Onett. While his ability to actually perform them was limited, the inner power and strength he harboured was tough to grasp. Ness, who took great pride in showing off Lucas, was excited to train him, knowing that once Lucas took control of his abilities, he could possibly become one of the most powerful Psychics in the entire country, maybe even the world.

No one could deny their tight friendship. After going through hell together, Lucas and Ness were quite close. But neither boy had said a single word about a certain tension that hung around them constantly. Near the end of their adventure, Ness had confessed his secret feelings for Lucas, and Lucas seemed to reciprocate them. But once entering Onett and settling down, both went quiet about the subject. Ness, in particular, was confused on how to act towards Lucas. He treated him as a good friend and nothing more, but was took afraid to ask if they even were anything more, as it'd be a bit awkward. Lucas, being the more reserved of the two, obviously hadn't said anything either. Ness knew full well that Lucas claiming to share the feelings of love could've easily been the result of grief and emptiness from losing Nana, and craving that emotional bond again. He wanted to bring it up, but could never muster up the courage. Besides, Lucas seemed perfectly content as close friends. Thus, Ness swallowed his feelings and went with it. After all, at least Lucas was there. Ness had fulfilled his promise to Hinawa, having protected her son and taken him to safety. And as long as Lucas was happy and out of harm's way, that was enough for Ness.

And now, four months later, life couldn't be any more perfect. That was the only word Lucas could use to describe his life. From the time he woke up in the morning to when he'd rest his head for the night, the only word running through his head was 'perfect'. He had respect. He had Ness. He had Onett. He had PSI. He'd discovered Claus' whereabouts. He was in contact with Flint. Lucas had everything.

And nothing, he thought, nothing could ruin it.

* * *

It was a good day indeed. The sun was shining, and the breeze, although a bit chilly, was soft. The leafy greens of the trees had begun to change into a gradient of red, yellow, and orange. The forest carried scents of falling leaves and cedar wood. The ground was coated in a blanket of crimson leaves that crackled under the shoes of a young man who chose to travel that day. He breathed in the fresh Autumn air and sighed contently. How he couldn't wait to indulge himself in big sweaters and the several ways he could use cinnamon. However, he couldn't start just yet, as he had a quest to complete first. The portal to Onett was only open for another week, after all. He only had so much time.

Lucas was a lovely boy. Though he stood at a staggering almost-6 feet tall and held a well built figure, he was a gentle, warm soul. His kind face, a bit feminine, was enough to tell anyone that he was a friend. He had a head of nicely kept blond hair; a bright platinum shade that was quite rare to see nowadays. His eyes were the shade of the skies at dawn, bordered by blond eyelashes. Despite Lucas' more soft appearance, he was particularly gifted in something else; his combat. Lucas, having been trained by the men of Tazmily (and also his quite terrifying mother), was quick, stealthy, strategic, and very strong. He had no idea how to use a weapon, and lord knows he was just barely beginning to understand his PSI, but when any of his new neighbors needed a jar to be opened or a crowbar to be yanked out, Lucas was often the one they called.

And of course, he always said yes. Lucas was no doormat, and definitely knew when to stand up for himself, but he couldn't help how pleasant he was. Everyone he'd already met in Onett knew that he would happily do favours, which is why Lucas was put in charge of delivering something very important to a nearby town. When the leader of Onett approached him, she did so knowing he would say yes.

Lucas was happy to accept, because after all, it gave him another chance to see his brother. Claus had recently decided to become less reclusive, and allowed for Unknown to open up only one trading route. The village was quiet and secretive, hence the name, but Claus had surprisingly and quite out of nowhere asked if Onett would be willing to trade. Lucas and Ness both convinced their own leader that the decision was a good one, thus, Onett would exchange a large section of their materials for an equal section of Unknown's. Onett, being more technologically advanced, offered a delivery of glass, bricks, metal, and other things that Unknown didn't have the ability to create themselves. Unknown, in return, offered a harvest's worth of their crops, which were much higher quality than Onett's, being a town built over richer soil and better farming grounds. It was the first step to creating a possible friendship between the two towns. Lucas and Ness were already welcome within its borders, even gaining themselves the traditional alternate titles Unknown often gave its higher ups. Lucas, thanks to his use of a particularly legendary Psionic move, was titled 'Starstorm', while Ness, due to the hue of his hair and his intelligence and strategy, was named 'Raven'.

Therefor, Lucas cheerfully made his way through the serene forest. The bag he was carrying was heavy and hurt his shoulder a bit, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He could already see the tops of white buildings in the distance, as well as the gentle murmuring of a crowd. Above him, he knew that border security was perched high within the tree branches, arrows ready. But he carried along without worry, as he knew they recognized him as a welcome visitor. Along the path he went. The slightly plowed dirt path faded into a gravel road, and Lucas found himself within the hustle and bustle of the mysterious village. He looked around at the sea of black masks surrounding him, and several heads turned. The thrilled crowd approached, numerous greetings being called. Lucas waved.

"Great to be back! Good day!" Lucas greeted with a smile, "I need to see my brother; is he around?"

A particularly familiar voice cut through the murmur like a knife through butter.

"You wish to speak with Hawkeye, I see." A rather serious looking young man stepped from the surroundings, dark eyes shimmering ever so slightly at the sight of Lucas, "I can direct you."

Lucas' smile grew bigger as he approached the other boy and accepted his handshake offer, "How you been, Ninten-" He paused, noting the presence of inferior villagers, "Oh, oops. Sorry. How you been, _Storm?_ "

"Lucky save, my friend. Good morrow to you, Starstorm; I am well." Ninten replied, voice just as blunt as ever. He gestured to Lucas' bag, "I can only assume this is the half of the deal we were promised?"

"It's all in here. We just need to go find Cla-" Lucas stopped himself again, ". _..Hawkeye_ , then we can go ahead with the trade itself."

"Well, you need not look too far. He's over in the training clearing to observe a certain _someone's_ progress." Ninten quickly nodded to a nearby villager motioning for them to take Lucas' bag, "I'll have your things placed in the conference hall. Give your poor shoulders a break."

"Oh, that's awesome, thanks." Lucas stretched out his arms with a grunt as he began to follow Ninten, who led him back through the trees and along the dell. Despite having longer legs, he found it difficult to keep up with the general. Ninten's stone faced, authoritative demeanor was amusing to Lucas, who knew from Claus that he was actually kind of a dorky guy when not around the villagers. He still had yet to see this apparent side of Ninten, but he couldn't wait for the day he did.

The valley gave way to a long, cleared out space within the trees. The area was a large circle packed with dirt and surrounded by a low wooden fence. The ground bore several footprints and divots from the endless training sessions and battles having taken place on it. Right now, the arena was occupied. Clustered in the middle was a fair sized group of school aged children. And in front of them, speaking in perfect clarity and direction, was a face that never failed to make Lucas' day. Lucas leaned against the wooden fence and watched, a content smirk on his face.

Ness, fair and simple, was a great teacher. He delivered his lessons with just the right amount of strictness and charm, not to mention his impressive talent in working with and relating to kids. Ninten often said it was because Ness was practically a child himself, a jab both Lucas and Claus always found funny. To the surprise of everyone, Ness had actually helped the children morph their Psionic auras, allowing them to be compatible with PSI, something that Unknown villagers were usually unable to use. Ness figured that since they were very young, their auras hadn't quite developed yet, meaning that with enough meditation and self connection, they could allow themselves to inherit PSI. Unknown usually used PSI's dark counterpart, Anti-PSI, which was a fairly uncommon practice considered taboo in some places. Ness himself managed to learn a bit of it himself, displaying his unique ability to use both powers. Obviously, he used this to inflate his ego even more. But Lucas knew that Ness' absolute favourite thing to do was to show off, hoping that a certain someone, who often watched the classes, would see it, just to be impressed. Lucas would never name names, but he knew it just so happened to be a particular individual with long black hair, brown eyes, and a stoic, yet pleasant disposition. He didn't want to point out any specifics, though.

As usual, Ness was completely immersed in his lesson that day. He went on about topic after topic that Lucas didn't understand, but the crowd of children seemed entranced, mouths slightly open with awe and eyes barely blinking. Ninten suddenly nudged Lucas' arm and leaned in close to him.

"Claus is over there. He's just observing." He pointed out another person standing nearby.

As he promised, Claus was standing on the other side of the ring, watching contently with his hands held behind his back. Lucas just barely managed to catch his eye. Once the brothers spotted each other, Lucas gleefully waved and silently mouthed a 'hello!' to him. Claus calmly raised his hand and bowed his head; his own special, 'I-can't-look-excited-because-I'm-the-leader-and-my-citizens-are-around' kind of way. They stayed where they were, quietly watching the lesson as Ness went on.

"PK Thunder is not something you can mess with! Unlike PK Fire, you are in _full_ control of where your spark goes! If you don't pay attention, your spark will stay stationary, and you just earned yourself a fullbody electrocution." Ness explained, raising a hand and revealing a twitching cluster of fizzing sparks that whizzed around his fingers, "As you know, Psionic moves come in four categories, being Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Omega. Since you haven't quite learned it yet, we will be practicing with Alpha. The key to controlling thunder is by using the electricity in the air, just-"

Ness went silent as he caught sight of Lucas and Ninten in the corner of his eye. His gaze immediately focused on Ninten, who watched with his arms crossed and his face pretending to be disinterested. Ness faltered a bit, losing track of his PSI, and accidentally letting a shock go up his arm.

"A-Ack...!" Ness coughed as a lock of his hair stuck up from the static. A few of the children giggled. Ninten scoffed. Ness quickly cleared his throat and pulled himself together, "...J-Just like how we do with fire. Electricity is all around us. Sometimes, you can cheat and use the heat from the sun, but that results in a less powerful attack."

As Ness continued to speak, his eyes wavered several times back to Ninten, who hadn't moved in the slightest. Lucas watched with amusement.

"A-Anyways!" Ness glanced back at Ninten again, "I will now show you an advanced move using Class Omega PK Thunder, which, might I say, is the highest class and the hardest to control." Ness projected his voice at the last bit to make sure he was heard. Ninten rolled his eyes. Ness went on, "A-And this move is very, very difficult! A master's move!"

"Then why're you showing it to us?" The young voice of one of the children piped up as she raised her hand,"We haven't even learned PK Thunder yet, Professor Raven."

"Uuuuhhhh...b-because it's good to see an _expert_ in action!" Ness assured, "Anyways, here, watch this."

Taking one more moment to 'inconspicuously' make sure that Ninten was watching, Ness backed into a tight, engaged stance, gripping his fists to make sure his arms were flexed. Ninten clicked his teeth and leaned over to Lucas again.

"Someone's been working out, you see? Raven's bicep almost comes close to being as built as my index finger." Ninten whispered. Lucas had to slap a hand over his mouth to stifle the uncontrollable snort of laughter that came from him unintentionally.

Ness, oblivious to the exchange, pushed his feet towards the ground and engaged his core. Brow furrowed, he charged up his Psionic energy, feeling the tingling of electricity build up within him. Forcing in the last bit of strength he needed, he recoiled back and threw himself into the air. He jetted his leg to the sky, sending a spear of lightning ripping through the air with a nearly blinding light and an ear-shattering crack. Ness drew his leg back in just in time to safely land on his feet. He staggered, a little woozy from the intense attack, but managed to keep himself upright.

"H-Heh...there you are. Voila." Ness proudly panted, presenting his arms.

The crowd of amazed children emitted a collective 'ooooooh', and lightly clapped in response. Ness caught Ninten's eye. The general shrugged a bit, giving a "so-so" kind of look. Ness, clearly disappointed with the reaction, simply pretended not to notice and turned back to his students.

"Alright, then! You will all partner up and practice the basic action to perform PK Thunder," Ness instructed. He recoiled back and mimed the action, freezing in place to demonstrate, "Make sure your wrists are perfectly crossed over top of each other, and make sure they are touching! Otherwise, the electric current won't react. I want this to be movement only, got it? I don't want to see any sparks. Take five!"

As Ness left the scene, the children instantly began to break up into groups of two, following Ness' orders and sharply dropping into the stance he'd shown. Ness only wavered to watch for a few moments, before he nodded in satisfaction and began to approach Ninten and Lucas. Ness sent a friendly wave to the latter, pretending not to see the former, who scowled. Ness leaned on the opposite side of the fence, one ankle crossed behind the other casually.

"There you are, Lucas. I thought you'd never get here." Ness said. He'd left Onett much earlier that morning, as classes began in the hours of dawn.

"Overslept just a bit. How're the kids doing?" Lucas asked, nodding his head towards the cluster of students.

"Bunch'a little angels, I tell you what. They know that if they step outta line, they'll have to deal with the discipline of a lifetime." Ness boasted.

"And by that, he means me." Ninten added. Ness sighed.

"...Essentially. Yes." Ness said, "And how convenient, that they're on their best behaviour when their leader just so happens to be watching! Hey, Claus! Enjoying the show?"

Claus, who had rounded the arena to join the three boys, accepted Ness' quick handshake and crossed his arms, standing with his usual grace, authority, and valour.

"Watching those kids learn and grow is a moment of pride for me, Ness. I say, you've done a good job with them. Very nice work. Wouldn't you agree, Ninten?" Claus praised, much to Ninten's disgruntlement.

"...Aye." Ninten mumbled, knowing full well that he couldn't disagree. Ness grinned smugly at him once Claus wasn't looking.

"They will grow to be fine soldiers. Thank you for your teachings, Ness. If only us older boys could turn back time and learn both abilities ourselves." Claus said, before turning to Lucas, "And then there's this one. C'mere, you."

Lucas snickered as his brother pulled him into a tight hug and patted his back a few times in greeting.

"Good to see you again too, Claus," Lucas said, "Just like we promised, I brought over Onett's share of the deal. All we need is your approval, and we can make this happen."

"Perfect, perfect. This certainly is a very new experience for us. It does feel nice to expand our contacts a bit. I do hope that Onett and Unknown can become friends in the near future." Claus replied, straightening his hood, "Ninten, you can take over observing Ness' class. I'm off to complete the trade."

Ninten blinked, glanced at Ness, then looked back at Claus, "...Sir, are you certain you don't need my help in _any_ possible way? Anything?"

"I'm afraid you're stuck with Ness, my poor, poor General." Claus said, "Don't worry, Ness. He doesn't bite."

"Uh, yeah he does!" Ness cried, pulling back his sleeve to expose a rather visible pinkish-white teeth mark on his forearm. Knowing there was no way out of this, he groaned, "Fine. Just try not to _spear_ any of the kids, alright?"

"It's not them I was planning on spearing." Ninten jeered back, balling his fists as the two neared each other like a pair of wolves fighting for dominance.

"Alright, ladies, try to be good role models, why don't you?" Claus quickly stepped in and pushed the two boys away from each other, "Ness, go teach. Ninten, don't spear any kids."

Ninten stifled an irritated sigh, "Yes, sir." He mumbled.

Ness shot one more sneer at him, before swiftly turning and alerting his students by clapping his hands a few times, "Alright, we're back! I hope you ate well, because now we begin the meditation period for learning how to connect with electricity! Find a spot on the ground you feel comfortable in, and take a few seconds to clear your head before we begin…"

As Ness went on, Claus gave Ninten an unapologetic smile, before motioning for Lucas to follow. Ninten begrudgingly clicked his teeth and leaned back against the fence, observing the class with a slight pout.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Claus traveled back into town, where Claus led the way to the conference hall. A long table stretched down the foyer, and as promised, Lucas' bag was set at the head of it. Claus approached the bag and took a glance at what was inside.

"This must've been quite the load to carry." Claus commented, reaching under his cape to retrieve a clipboard he had pinned under his belt.

"It was nothing, really. Alright, here we go. Wooden planks, fine finish, oak and birch. Two bundles." Lucas relayed as he removed a large stack of wood from the bag.

"Check."

"Three stocks of glass panes?"

"Check."

"Steel pellets."

"Check."

It didn't take long to run through the entire list. Claus observed the materials placed on the table with interest. He crossed his arms and nodded, satisfied. Lucas wondered how on Earth he managed to even lift the bag in the first place.

"These could do some serious good for Unknown." Claus said, "Using only sand, clay, and bricks has become...tiresome."

"I bet. Onett's happy to help in any way we can." Lucas replied, "And how about your share?"

"I have several villagers set to work on the fields right now. I'm not sure how long it will take to complete the harvest, but I can guarantee it done by tomorrow's eve."

"That's perfect!" Lucas said, "Though, I've noticed that you're giving more than us. Isn't an entire week's harvest a little too much? This looks like barely enough to build a _shed_."

"Spare yourself the worry. I want to be on Onett's good side." Claus said, his voice strangely dull. Lucas' brow furrowed.

"...What do you mean by that?" He asked. Claus perked up, seemingly jolted out of a trance.

"Oh! Nothing, nothing. It's just nice to have neighbors for once." Claus explained. He cleared his throat a bit, and changed the subject, "Say, has your PSI gotten better?"

"Uh...yeah?" Lucas replied, figuring there wasn't much more to be said, "I still haven't performed PK Love once. The last time I did was when I revived Ness, and it hasn't happened since."

"Odd. Though, it is a very difficult move. Remember, it's amazing enough that you can even use it in the first place. They call it the 'Miracle Spell' for a reason."

"I guess. There's a bunch of people in Onett who don't believe me. Some even think that PK Love is just a myth, nothing more."

"...Is Onett to your liking?" Claus asked.

"It's awesome, yeah. I mean, compared to Tazmily, that is," Lucas shrugged and gave a small laugh, "I know you want me to live here and all, but I just wouldn't fit in. My place is in Onett."

"Understood. Mustn't blame a lad for wanting to be around his brother." Claus said.

"Why not travel there sometime? How come I have to be the one to walk a million miles just to see you, huh?" Lucas teased, nudging his arm.

"You don't lead a village of a thousand people who depend on you for their well being." Claus pointed out.

"...Fair enough. But still, put Ninten in charge one day and come to Onett. They're Anti-PSI friendly, so you don't have to worry about torches and pitchforks. Come over sometime, yeah?" Lucas asked.

Claus hesitated for a moment, "Chances are, I might have to." He murmured softly under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. C-Come, you just got here! I can guarantee there's an entire hoard of kids out there right now who've just gotten word that their good friend Lucas is in town again." Claus urged, prompting Lucas towards the exit.

"Of course, we still have some time before nightfall." Lucas considered.

With all that said and done, he tentatively followed his brother outside with the slight twinge of concern still nipping at the back of his head.

* * *

Ness took one more glance over the silent, still tableaux of students, all of which were scattered here and there, legs crossed and eyes closed. After about ten minutes of poking and prodding, there was finally completely stillness among the group. The air was thick and heavy with gathered auras, all being intently focused on by their owners. Ness, feeling slightly nauseous from the overwhelming Psionic fuzz, decided to step away from the arena for now. He'd picked a good day to learn PK Thunder; the skies were becoming overcast, and the possibility of a storm was near. He could feel the static in the air. He played a bit, forming an electrical Jacob's Ladder with two fingers, as he approached Ninten, who stood silently nearby.

"They're all out cold. Two hours from now, a good chunk of 'em will be able to produce at least a few sparks." Ness whispered, "You feel all that static?"

"'Tis a possible sign of Zeus' play. It may rain, possibly..." Ninten murmured, concerned, "Ness, perhaps you and the others shouldn't...go do that thing later tonight."

"I see where you're coming from, but this is really important to Claus and Lucas, remember. Besides, you'll be here. If Rogues attack, you can scare 'em all off." Ness suggested.

"Of all the nights those two had to decide upon…" Ninten sighed.

"I can't just say no to them. You know that." Ness replied, "It's their father, Ninten."

"...Yes, yes. I'm aware. Heed not my words."

Once Lucas had been safe and secure in Onett, he immediately set to work contacting his father, Flint, in any way he could. After a few weeks and some help from a group of stealthy Unknown soldiers, he managed to get a message to him explaining all that had happened. When Flint discovered that Claus was alive, he instantly demanded to figure out a way to meet in person. Thus, they formulated a plan that involved meeting at a halfway point. Though they only had about half an hour to catch up on everything, it was truly something special. Ness could still remember the night when Flint and Claus reunited. Flint had refused to let go of his son for nearly ten minutes, in fear of losing him again. Ever since then, the twins would travel to the spot each month to spend what little time they had with their father. Ness would often join to serve as a bodyguard. It often frightened him, travelling so close to a human village, but it was what Lucas wanted, so he decided to man up regardless.

Ninten was often worrisome during these trips. He would stay behind and in charge of the village whilst Claus was gone for a good few hours at best. Ness knew that Ninten got antsy when he wasn't around to protect Claus, especially due to the fact that Claus was often under pursuit of those out to get him. Seeing as the young man was not born into the village, thus not having Unknown blood in his veins, many villagers left upon his coronation as the leader. It would be a fate worse than death to be led by an outsider in their eyes. Claus was in constant danger, in a way. Whenever an attack on Unknown was planned by these rogue villagers, he was always the target. Ness had to admit, seeing Ninten rush to fuss over Claus upon his return from these trips was quite amusing, and quite frankly, kinda cute.

These thoughts continued to run through Ness' head. He had a good two hours to spare, but couldn't leave the area unattended. As seconds passed, he slightly turned his head to face Ninten. The Vice President seemed tense and distracted, often glancing around or tapping his fingers on the plank of the fence. Ness took a quick look around as well, seeing nothing. He didn't hear any sounds out of place, only the whispering of the trees and the distant call of birds. His curiosity ended up getting the better of him.

"Ninten. Dude. You're freakin' me out, man." Ness bluntly stated, "I know you care about Claus and all, but you really gotta stop with the fidgeting. What's got you all worked up?"

"Did I seem so?" Ninten asked, perking up out of his trance, "...My mistake."

"Wanna...tell me what's wrong?" Ness asked.

"I assure you, there is nothing." Ninten replied.

"That just makes me believe you less." Ness insisted. Ninten cast an annoyed glance his way.

"It's more Claus than me. When he gets nervous, I get nervous." Ninten explained.

"Is he scared about trading? Because if he is, we don't have to do it today. We can wait." Ness assured.

"No, no, the trading is fine. It's just…" Ninten looked to his right, then his left, "I can't keep it in anymore, I have to tell someone. You'll do. What I am about to tell you cannot be disclosed to anyone else."

Ness inched forwards in curiosity, "S-Sure, I guess."

"Yes, very good. Well…" Ninten paused, "There's...a reason Claus decided to open up a trade route."

"Because you guys wanted to start using more technologically advanced stuff."

"Not entirely. That was merely a small part of it, you see."

"...Oh?"

"Unknown needs to be on the affections of as many other towns as possible."

Ness tipped his head to the side, "Why so?"

Ninten's eyes darkened, "...You've not heard."

"Not particularly, no. What've I not heard about?" Ness took another step forward, feeling a slight dread in his chest.

"Well, it's nothing but a rumor. Nothing more, nothing less." Ninten began, leaning in close, "But rumors grow. We've recently received news from far north. I'm sure you're aware of the royal family?"

"Of the Nowhere Islands? I've heard of them, sure."

"According to what's on the grapevine, our King made a very questionable decision. See, a Psychic was apprehended for a crime he supposedly didn't commit. He was put up against a jury of only humans, and thus, sentenced to death."

"Christ, really?"

"Yes. The rest is lost among the rabble, but apparently, riots have been breaking out. Psychics have had enough, it seems. Shops are being robbed, people are getting hurt."

Ness' heart rate sped up, "B-But the last time something like this happened…" He went silent for a moment, before the realization dawned on him. He gasped, "Oh god, Ninten, you don't think…?"

"It's possible." Ninten solemnly nodded, "Psychics hate humans. Humans hate Psychics. And as long as there's hate, there is conflict. And when there's conflict, there's war."

"But the treaty! It declares that no prosecution shall come to Psychics unless needed! A war should be impossible, practically!" Ness protested.

"Treaties. Please." Ninten scoffed, "It's a piece of parchment that was written decades ago. You really think they even spare a passing thought? Psychic or human, we're still people. People fight, Ness. Wars happen. And if one happens here, then we're as good as dead unless we have allies. Unknown are strong, and Unknown are fearless. But we are also small."

Ness was silent for a few seconds, "...So you opened up a trade route…?"

"To become friends, in a way. Onett is bigger, richer, and more powerful. Maybe, if we were to form an alliance, they could help us." Ninten sighed.

There was only quiet after that. Ness couldn't believe it. Another war, he thought. Impossible, surely. Hadn't anyone learned their lesson from the bloodiest battle in history? He'd experienced it for himself when he and Lucas had trekked through the cursed forest nearby. Never did he ever want to do that again. Not to mention, poor Lucas was finally safe and happy. To have that ripped away from him by a needless conflict; Ness didn't even want to think about it. He also knew that if a war happened, whoever led the Psychic charge would want soldiers. The last thing Ness wanted was to be forced into a battle and possibly watch his best friend die.

But of course, he thought. It was just a rumor. Nothing more, nothing less.

* * *

The threat of a possible storm was gone by the time dusk came around. To everyone's relief, the skies were clear and the static in the air lessened. With his nerves eased, Ninten reluctantly took over charge of the camp. Claus was quick to gather his things, just as ready to take off as Lucas was. It would be a short journey, and it would be worth every step. Ninten stood at the village exit with his hands placed neatly behind his back, eyes narrowed and heart determined. Claus patted his friend's shoulder and thanked him for his service, before turning to join Ness and Lucas, who stood waiting. Several villagers had also gathered to wish their leader a safe passage.

"Promise you will be safe?" Ninten asked.

"Have I ever lied to you, Storm?" Claus teased, "You need not worry. I've two fine Psychics with me to protect me along the way. I need you to take charge while I'm gone."

"Of course. You can count on me." Ninten assured, nodding, "I'm just...hesitant, is all. Something makes me feel anxious, I just don't know what I'm anxious about."

"Well, I highly doubt the chance of a rogue attack. They usually only do that when the rain is thick and our powers are weak." Claus approached his second in command and gently took his hand to comfort him, "If anything happens, send the brightest flare you can. We'll come at a moment's notice."

"I shall. Off you go, then. Godspeed, and good-den." Ninten wished.

"Aye! I will return!" Claus called out to his villagers, "Hear ye my words! Listen to Storm while I am gone, understood?"

Pleased to hear a chorus of agreement back, Claus nodded and gave one last wave, before quickly rushing off to join the side of Lucas. They took to the path immediately, meeting Ness along the way. Lucas and Ness both produced a dim light by using PK Fire, while Claus used its Anti-Psionic counterpart, which created a blueish, more smudgy flame with PK Braze. With the greenish glow lighting their way, the boys set off into the forest, prepared to take whatever journey needed. Being able to see the stars above eased their nerves.

The journey was silent and quick. Ness led the way, the twins trailing behind him. Lucas had grown used to travelling through the forest at night. He felt a slight nervous pull in his stomach; going in the direction back to Tazmily was frightening on its own. Had it not been for the chance to see his parent, he wouldn't have even thought of it. He despised the foul memories he kept of the place. At least every week, he would wake up gasping for air after a night terror in which he relived the events of that fateful night several months ago. Often times, Ness would be awake due to his horrendous sleep schedule, and would instantly come to his aid and help calm him down.

Lucas glanced at the back of Ness' head and smirked a bit. A lot of his recovery was all thanks to him. His mind traced back to the day he first came to Onett. He remembered cradling Ness, blood trailing down his face and arms, one hand clamped over Ness' chest to desperately try and stop the bleeding. Lucas bit his lip. He remembered the words Ness had said to him. He'd simply poured his heart out to him, expressing every feeling of love and care, struggling to get it all out before he slipped away. Lucas recalled his pulse racing, his thoughts scrambling, and his logic flying off with the wind. After losing Nana, he craved to feel a sense of love again. Every time he thought about that kiss, that god forsaken kiss, the guilt layered over him, and just kept growing. Lucas hadn't meant to do it, it just happened. He felt awful, knowing it would never happen again.

Because at the end of the day, Ness had the sparks. Lucas didn't.

"Hold up; there's the tree."

Ness' voice jolted Lucas out of his thoughts. He perked up, re-familiarizing himself with the surrounding area. His eyes adjusted to the dim light, and he made out the shapes of trees surrounding him. The trees had gone from oak to pine. They were near Tazmily. He backed up towards Claus, who seemed just as on edge. Up ahead, they saw a dead tree, charred and blackened by a lightning strike years ago. They'd set it as the checkpoint for where they would greet Flint.

"He's not there yet. Odd, he's usually here before us." Claus noticed.

"That's 'cus this old lot took thirty minutes to find his scarf!"

All three boys turned in response to the new, yet familiar voice. From the darkness, an older, rugged man revealed himself in the light. Lucas and Claus instantly brightened, dousing their flames.

"Dad!" Both brothers exclaimed.

Flint happily accepted his sons' embrace, squeezing tightly. When he backed away, Lucas was relieved to see that his eyes were focused and aware. Flint's mental health had sharply declined shortly after Claus disappeared, resulting in him forgetting that Lucas even existed at some points. It was clear that he was improving, as he faced Lucas with a delighted look in his gaze.

"Howdy," Flint replied, his voice just as familiarly husky, "How've you two squirts been holding up?"

"My people are thriving, as am I." Claus proudly declared. Lucas nodded enthusiastically.

"Good news! We just completed our first trade agreement, and-"

Lucas went silent. His gaze trailed past Flint's shoulder to greet another familiar face behind him. Lucas' eyes locked with theirs, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He felt his knees buckle just a bit, but firmly planted himself to keep himself upright. Lucas knew he was going to see this person tonight, and he'd tried to mentally prepare himself for it. Flint had warned him several times in his letters, but nonetheless, Lucas wasn't ready. Behind him, he could sense Ness' body tensing up and his Psionic energy spiking a bit.

' _Ness, hey. Calm down. Easy, Tiger._ ' Lucas quickly sent the telepathic message to stop his hot blooded friend from doing anything he'd regret.

' _Easier said than done._ ' Ness spat back. Lucas winced at the bitterness in his inflection.

"A-Ah, Lucas...listen," Flint stammered, immediately sensing the tension, "You know I'm weak, I…I wouldn't be able to make it here on my own, and..."

"No, Dad, I get it. Really, it's okay." Lucas replied, trying to sound as content as possible.

It was Lighter.

Lucas hadn't seen his face since the two had battled each other. The last time he'd seen Lighter, the poor man was bleeding and bruised, eyes wide with astonishment at Lucas' incredible power. Lucas could easily sense the fear coming from Lighter. He was grateful for the fact that Lighter himself was not a Psychic, as he couldn't in turn sense the fear coming from Lucas. Lighter's eyes, though dark, did not seem to hold the same hatred as before. Lucas knew that Lighter was afraid of him, but he was eased to know that he held at least a bit of respect for the Psychic boy. Lighter stood rigid, hands paced behind his back. Lucas, with one hand settled on Ness' shoulder to keep him at bay, bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"...Lighter." He greeted, his voice grim.

"Lucas." Lighter returned, his voice a bit raspier than Lucas remembered. Come to think of it. Lighter's face looked more tired and dull. His hair even seemed to be graying a bit. Lighter looked him up and down, "...Your shoulders. Much broader than before. Same with your arms. You look strong."

"Yeah, um…" Lucas glanced down at his arms, "...I've...been training."

"Ah. It shows." Was all Lighter said. He turned to face Ness, "And you. I'd appreciate if you pulled the daggers out of your stare, sir. This is a truce."

Ness grit his teeth, but eventually sighed and averted his eyes to the ground. Lucas kept his hand on his shoulder, just in case. He knew that Ness still held a serious grudge, seeing as Lighter was the one who'd given him a fatal stab wound. Had it not been for Lucas' use of the Miracle Spell, Ness would be dead. Finally, Lighter looked at Claus. For the first time, his eyes changed, instead showing an expression of shock. Lucas realized how surprising it must've been; Lighter hadn't seen him in years, originally believing him to be dead, like everyone else. Claus held an expression that Lucas couldn't read. He looked like he was masking dread with polite, respectful poise. He couldn't hide his quick, frightened breathing, however. Claus, gripping his gloved hand into a fist to keep himself under control, gave a stiff smile.

"I'll be damned." Lighter mumbled, "I never thought I'd see those green eyes again. You look like just as much of a troublemaker as you did six years ago."

"Good-den, Lighter," Claus replied, trying to muster up as much pleasantry as possible, "A troublemaker, you say? I assure you, I am not one."

"Flint says you lead a little village of your own. Care to elaborate?"

"That is unfortunately disclosed information, for the safety of my people."

"So be it." Lighter clicked his teeth, "I'm sure you can imagine my... _interest_ when your father told me you were alive."

"Oh, yes." Claus nodded, his smile quirking.

"Anyways!" Lucas interrupted, feeling the passive aggressive tension and yearning to break it, "As I was saying, Claus and I have opened a trade route between our respective populations."

"Well, shoot! Interesting. Your village is mighty secretive, Claus. What made you start trading?" Flint asked. Claus' body went rigid.

"...Nothing important! Just wanting to get closer to other places, is all!" Claus assured. Lucas saw that Ness gave him a suspicious side glance. There was definitely some they knew that he didn't, but now wasn't the time to acknowledge it.

"Well, I'm tickled. Sit; I gotta tell you about my latest travels. Lighter and I both made the journey to a larger city not far from here; Twoson. Caroline's gotten herself all sick, and Twoson was the closest place to find the medicine she needed." Flint explained as he seated himself upon a rock. Lucas and Claus happily joined him, while Ness and Lighter stayed standing. Every now and then, they'd share a glare.

"Yes? Did you see anything interesting?" Lucas asked.

"Ah, um…" Flint thought for a moment, eyes clouded in confusion. He turned back to Lighter, "Remind me, again?"

"The uniformed girls." Lighter said. Flint's face brightened.

"Oh, yeah! Lighter and I saw the darndest thing, we did. Right down the street, you got this big ol' crowd of little girls, all dressed up in their school clothes. Just a white shirt and those cute lil' plaid skirts." Flint explained, "And they start handing out these."

Flint handed Lucas a slip of paper, which Lucas soon realized was a pamphlet. He couldn't see well in the dark, but he could see the images of young children, all girls, clad in their respective uniforms. It looked incredibly posh.

"They were from one of those boarding schools or whatever." Flint said, "Nothing special or anything, it was just a lil' spooky. There were so many, I tell you what. That pamphlet's talking about how good the school is. I think they need more students."

Beside him, Lucas felt Claus' arm toughen up. He looked at his brother, who eyed the booklet nervously. Ness reached down suddenly and plucked the pamphlet from Lucas' hand, startling him. After a few seconds of looking at the cover, he snickered.

"Lookit that, Lucas! You've been wanting to go to school, haven't you? Here's a perfect match!" Ness teased, jabbing at the back of Lucas' neck.

"Aw, cut it out, man-!" Lucas complained, swatting him away.

The next while was filled with only pleasant conversation. Flint seemed to be doing much better than last time. His stuttering had gone down a bit, and he seemed much more aware of where he was and what he was doing. Claus, on the other hand, was on edge the entire time. His answers were short and quiet, and he mainly let Lucas do most of the talking. They spoke of simple things as time went on. Ness even managed to keep himself at bay with Lighter standing right there. Lucas kept himself on guard, because he knew that Ness was just a timebomb ready to go off at any moment.

Despite the cheerful atmosphere, Lucas found himself growing increasingly nervous as well. There was an odd vibe in the air. Flint and Lighter seemed fine, but of course, they weren't Psychics. Lucas knew that Claus and Ness felt it too. The wind pattern in the air was off. Even the trees seemed to be swaying wrong. Before he knew it, Lucas realized that apart from their voices, the forest was quiet. He'd been in the middle of saying something casual, when he slowly began to trail off. Lucas went silent and looked up, eyes narrowed. Flint glanced back at Lighter, then back at Lucas, concerned.

"...Lucas?" Flint prompted, "You alright, kid?"

"Uh, yeah, I just…" Lucas mumbled, only somewhat paying attention. Ness and Claus were also searching the area.

"It's all that freaky Psychic nonsense." Lighter muttered, "Tryin' to spook us."

"No, that's not it…!" Lucas insisted, "Ness, Claus, do you feel that?"

"I'll say. Something big is around. Takes up a lot of space." Ness commented.

"And how the hell do you know that?" Lighter demanded, visibly agitated.

"As Psychics, we have a good understanding of the elements, especially air. That being said, we can tell when there is a gap. Something is taking up a lot of space, and-" Claus had just barely finished explaining, when something caught his attention.

It started as a quiet drone in the distance. All five of them fell still, only looking around every so often. The droning began to grow in volume as an eerie echo. Lucas had never heard such a sound before. It sounded like some kind of animal up in the sky; an animal he'd never encountered. The trees began to blow more violently, thrashing here and there. Lucas grabbed hold of Claus' arm. Ness' eyes widened as he stood up, staring straight at the sky.

"...Here?" Ness whispered in confusion.

"W-What? Ness, what's that noise?" Lucas asked anxiously.

"It's...really nothing to be afraid of, I'm just confused why it's near Tazmily of all places," Ness replied.

They fell silent again as the sound began to grow even louder, beginning to become unbearable for Lucas to handle. He clamped his hands over his ears. Even then, it was too loud. Flint suddenly pointed to the sky, looking just as frightened.

"There! Look there!" Flint called.

Upon looking, just above the trees, three sets of odd, bright lights soared over them, just visible through the branches. Lucas gasped; he'd never seen anything like it. The lights were too still and clean to be the work of a Psychic. What kind of animal was that? Some sort of odd, bioluminescent bird. Lucas felt one of the lights hit him, and he squeezed his eyes shut against it. Even when he opened his eyes to find the light was gone, he was still seeing fuzz. The sound began to fade out just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind the stunned group.

"...The hell…?" Ness mumbled.

"Ness, tell me what that animal was!" Lucas begged, standing up and grabbing his arm.

"It's not an animal, it's an army plane, about three of them," Ness clarified, "I-It's a type of flying machine. Big, metal things that people go in."

"I've only ever heard of them in books! What're they doing here?" Lucas asked.

"...And why're they going towards…?" Claus didn't finish. Upon looking at his brother, Lucas realized that Claus had gone paper white. His hands were gripping tightly at his clothing, and his legs were trembling. His aura was spastic. Lucas wanted to comfort him, but he was too confused figuring out what was happening.

Ness perked up, "...Wait a minute." He held up a hand to keep everyone quiet.

When the droning had completely faded out, there was only silence. Lucas kept a hand over his mouth to keep himself from breathing too loudly. Flint, though sitting casually, was frozen. Lighter kept a hand on a tree. And Claus, strangely enough, had his fingers crossed so tightly that Lucas thought he might break them. The silence was even more frightening than the foreign flying machine itself. Lucas was prepared to speak at any moment, but something inside kept his mouth shut. Half a minute passed without a sound.

Suddenly, a distant rumble was heard, and a thin red trail of smoke rocketed into the sky. It traveled nearly a mile up, before it burst into a flash of crimson light with a loud crack. Claus gasped.

" _No!_ " Claus shrieked, "Father, we must go! My village! That was Ninten's flare, we need to get to them immediately! _They're in danger!_ "

Claus didn't even wait for an answer as he took off into the forest. Flint, instantly understanding the situation, gave a confused Lucas a light push.

"Lucas, Ness, go. If Claus' people are in trouble, you gotta help 'em," Flint insisted, "I'll go back to Tazmily. Quickly, catch up to him!"

"But dad-!" Lucas cried, "Fine, alright! Get home and tell everyone to lock their doors and windows, and to get to their basements."

"That'll do, now go!" Flint ordered.

"Promise me you'll be safe! _Promise!_ " Lucas demanded as Ness began to pull at his arm.

"Dagnabbit, I promise, child!" Flint exclaimed back, "I'mma tell you once more! _Git!_ "

Lucas only nodded, before allowing Ness to yank him back to the pathway. Over his shoulder, he saw Flint and Lighter taking off into the forest. He prayed that they would find safety. He broke into a sprint, only just being able to catch sight of Claus through the shadows. With Ness' help, he just barely managed to dodge tripping over rocks and branches. He scraped his arms against tree bark several times, but was barely paying attention. All he knew was that if Ninten sent an S.O.S. flare, it must've been serious.

His lungs were burning by the time he began to recognize the forest near Unknown. His legs begged for him to slow down, but the adrenaline pumping through his body forced him to continue. His fear only grew when he looked up to see the strange flying machines in the sky again, this time going the opposite direction.

' _No! No, nononono, please-!_ ' Lucas thought desperately to himself. Upon looking ahead, he saw the upcoming borders of Unknown territory. ' _There it is! Everything's fine. We'll run in there, and everyone will be safely hidden. Ninten had everything under control. Everything is going to be-_ '

Lucas skidded to a stop as they found themselves within the center of the village. He looked around and put a hand to his mouth, grabbing Ness' wrist with the other. Ahead, Claus stood still, staring blankly.

"...Th-The rumors…" Claus stammered, his voice brimming with tears, "...They're true…!"

Ness' eyes widened as he realized what he was looking at, "...We've not learned anything." Ness murmured shakily.

His grip on Lucas' hand tightened.

"...War is upon us."

The village had been destroyed. Buildings, collapsed in. The pathways and roads were dug up and strewn all about. A few small fires burned here and there. The air was heavy with dust and smoke. Even the stealthy silence of the village before was of trembling noise compared to the silence now. Leaves coated the ground, but they were not the crisp ones that were supposed to. Between the cracks of cobblestone and crumbled clay, the clear crimson of blood dripped through, making macabre streams. Most horrifyingly, dark shapes littered the ground; people. Claus, breaking out of his trance, gasped and rushed to one of the collapsed villagers.

"F-Fear not, I'm here…!" Claus assured voicelessly, stooping to his knees and scooping up the person. The person limply hung in his arms, their head falling back. Claus shook his head, "Oh, come now, you're alright…! Wake up! Wake up, I said!"

The villager did not respond. Lucas, upon looking into her eyes, saw that they were blank and empty. He took a step back and burrowed into Ness, who looked just as terrified. Lucas pushed away the wave of nausea. He'd only seen a dead body a few times before, and he hadn't grown any more used to it. Each time he looked at the defeated villager, he saw Nana. Ness, meanwhile, took a step towards Claus, who was still shaking the woman to desperately try and revive her.

"Did you not hear me?! T'was an order!" Claus spat, his face now tearstained.

"Claus! Claus, calm down, she's gone…!" Ness insisted, breaking away from Lucas and guiding Claus to put the fallen woman down.

"...N-No, no she's not!" Claus protested, looking around wildly, "There has to be a survivor! Unknown, present thee! For all that is holy!"

"Claus-" Lucas approached him.

"There must be! Somewhere!" Claus began running to check the pulses of the surrounding bodies. Ness and Lucas only sadly watched as he searched. Claus continued to rant, "There has to be someone, at least one who-!"

Claus went deathly silent as his eyes settled on one of the fallen. He staggered back, eyes wide and full of despair. Ness ran to his side, and felt his heart turn to ice. Ness took in a deep breath, and shook his head in disbelief.

"...No." Ness breathed, finally letting tears spill, "No, not him. They can't take him."

It was Ninten. He laid on his side, legs curled up to his chest, completely still. His hair was matted over his face. He didn't appear to be breathing. Claus, now becoming hysterical, dropped to his knees and rushed over to him, instantly pushing Ninten onto his back. Ninten's eyes were closed. He looked like he was sleeping. Lucas watched, horrified.

' _Not Ninten. He...he can't die._ ' Lucas thought. He'd always seen Ninten as someone immortal; someone who could never fall. This couldn't have been real.

Claus had already set to work, interlocking his fingers and beginning to jam his palms into Ninten's chest. Ness sat on the other side of him, charging up his PSI, ready to deliver a quick electric shock as a last resort.

"Wake up, 'sblood! Listen here! I appointed you as my vice leader, and you're not allowed to die yet! 'Sblood, Ninten, for Christ's sake!" Claus spat as he continued to push forcefully. Ninten showed no signs of waking. Claus, realizing it wasn't working, quickly brushed Ninten's hair out of his face and switched to mouth-to-mouth. Ninten still didn't move as Claus alternated between the two revival tactics, neither of which seemed to be working. Ness, realizing that it just wasn't going to happen, grabbed Claus' arm.

"Back up a bit!" Ness told him, showing his hand, which was twitching with static energy. Claus, understanding, got to his feet and backed away. Ness hastily pulled back Ninten's outer armor and undershirt, managing to expose bare skin. He pressed two fingers to Ninten's chest, counted to three, and squeezed his eyes shut. " _PK Thunder!_ "

In an instant, a sharp shock jolted through Ninten's body, causing him to spasm. In that moment, Ninten's eyes shot open and he took in a large gasp of air. Ninten frantically grabbed Ness' arms, desperate for someone to hold onto. Claus, breathing a sigh of relief, ran to his side, joined by Lucas. Ninten looked absolutely horrified, looking around wildly and senselessly. Ness, in an attempt to calm him, lifted Ninten into a sitting position and supported him in the crook of his arm.

"Thank god, just in the nick of time!" Claus breathed, "N-Ninten, are you alright?"

" _I...W-We…We all…!_ " Ninten gasped, his voice airy. He struggled to deliver words, but they just weren't coming out. Ignoring Claus' question, the vice leader broke down into a mess of tears. Ness only watched, too shocked to say anything. Lucas was surprised by the uncharacteristic behaviour of the usually stoic fellow, but also chose not to speak.

"Storm, you need to talk to me, please! What happened?!" Claus demanded.

Ninten continued to sob, but looked as if he were trying to stop. He gave a trembling salute, assuring that he'd heard him. Lucas put an arm around Claus as he watched the poor boy try and recover. Not once had he ever seen such terror in one person's eyes. Ness leaned down and began whispering to him, something neither brother could hear. Ninten, as he struggled to regain his composure, closed his eyes and listened to whatever Ness was telling him. Not even twenty seconds later, Ninten's breathing returned to normal, but his tears continued, and his body was still shaking. Claus softened his gaze, realizing that freaking out wasn't going to solve anything. Ness fell silent, giving Ninten an assuring look. Ninten held eye contact with him for a short while, before locking eyes with Claus.

"They…" Ninten whimpered, "They took them."

"What?" Claus whispered.

"It all happened so fast…!" Ninten relayed at a rapid fire pace, "...All of a sudden, an ambush. Great machines that I'd never seen before; ones that betray my knowledge. Weapons that overpowered our PSI easily. Metal and mast, that I myself would've thought to be a mad rambling, had I not seen them! 'You are being taken away', they said. 'We are taking you somewhere else, filthy, filthy 'kicks.'"

Ness winced at the slur. Ninten continued.

"They shot anyone who resisted even the slightest b-bit." Ninten explained, reliving the entire thing, "The rest, they all took away. S-Sir, I failed to protect everyone, I-I…! I tried, but there were too many men, and...they struck me with a strange weapon that produced its own electricity. Like PSI, but…" Ninten trailed off, before quickly regaining his senses, "N-Nonetheless, I've failed my duties, a-and I'm prepared to give forth my life, as so the tradition demands it…take thee my life, sir...take thee my life..."

"Hush, hush. I, as your leader, pardon you." Claus assured, "You did all you could. You need not give your life."

"I...I'm sorry, sir… _Thank you_ , sir..." Ninten said. He looked around at the horrible destruction around him, taking in another breath, "...'Kicks, that's what we are. Just filth beneath their shoe. Oh, yes, lord! I'll scream such a bray! I'll do my spite, I, a simple 'kick!"

Ness tensed up. Ninten was always highly against the use of such a word.

' _What have they done to him?_ ' Ness thought.

"...W-What do we do now?" Lucas murmured, "Ninten, are there any survivors?"

Ninten paused for a moment, before his eyes glimmered for a short moment, "...Aye! Hark, they reside!" His voice seemed lighter. With a quiet grunt, he lifted himself up into sitting, pressing a hand to the side of his head. Ness took a moment to help him stand up. Ninten then gestured to a seemingly random place, "...The bunkers."

"Yes, of course, the emergency bunkers! Some of us had to have gone to them." Claus agreed. "Ninten, stay here, Ness will care for you."

He patted Lucas and gestured for him to follow, and the twins took off. Claus led the way through the debris, still somehow able to navigate. He approached a collapsed building and began to push aside the crumbled bricks and clay. Lucas helped quickly, hoping that whatever Claus was looking for was still there. Claus pushed away the last of it, and Lucas was presented a large slate of wood. He was a bit hesitant, as he could not sense any auras. Claus fastened his fingers under the plank and lifted it with a grunt.

Both were relieved to see several faces looking back up at them. The group was huddled closely together. Lucas sighed, grateful. The group was clearly relieved as well, as they all relaxed soon after.

"It's Leader Hawkeye and Advisor Starstorm, not to worry!" Assured one woman who held a shivering toddler to her chest.

"We thought you might have been those dreadful soldiers again." Added a younger boy.

"Thank heavens, at least you made it. Very good strategy, disabling your PSI so that your auras were hidden." Claus sighed, reaching a hand down to start helping people out. There seemed to be about twenty or so. "You must tell me the details immediately!"

"It was _awful!_ " Exclaimed the same woman with the child, who was passed up first, "These men, all dressed in your typical uniform getup! They start inviting themselves in, and demanded we come with them, or there would be trouble."

"So of course, we said we couldn't do anything until our leader returned." The man beside her explained, "But they said they'd start to shoot if we resisted again. Again, we told them we needed to gain your approval. They didn't even hesitate; they kept their promise."

"Most of us went with them, but a few refused. They were the ones who were shot, no mercy. We were the ones who could get to the bunkers quick enough."

"General Storm fought so hard, all in your name. He even left men slain, but...they got him. I watched it happen, they electrocuted him with...something. I'm sorry, sir." The first woman finished.

"Fear not, he is alive. We just found him." Claus assured, receiving a few relieved murmurs, "Come, it is safe now. I fear we've not the time to give our fallen a proper burial. We must find a safe place, with haste."

As Lucas and Claus helped the last few out of the cramped hole, neither said anything. Upon looking at Claus' face, Lucas knew immediately that his twin blamed himself. Once the last survivor was on their feet, Lucas took a moment to put a hand on Claus' shoulder, touching his forehead to his. Claus did not resist to this. They stayed there for a moment, exchanging silent words that didn't need to be said aloud. When Lucas opened his eyes, he saw that Claus had started crying again. He gave his shoulder a squeeze. Lucas knew it would take more than that to comfort him, but he couldn't think of what he could say.

A few panicked cries nearby told the brothers that the surviving villagers had taken in the destruction. They rushed back to the clearing where they had found Ninten, who was still being cradled by Ness. Upon seeing them approach, Ness perked up. His hand was glowing green with a healing spell as he tended to the injured boy.

"He passed out. Whatever they shocked him with, it was strong." Ness said, "How many survivors?"

"Twenty four." Claus confirmed. "Out of hundreds."

"Christ." Ness hissed, "Who the hell did this? What sick piece of shit decides to massacre half a town and kidnap the rest?"

"Someone who needs people." Claus grimly said, "War has begun."

"That's what this is all about? I knew you looked tense back there!" Lucas cried, "The treaty of 34' clearly states that Psychics cannot be chased after or hunted!"

"We're on human land, Lucas. This is a human country. They can do whatever they want with us." Ness replied, "The only reason Onett is still here is because of the invisibility spell."

"And the only reason Unknown survived as long as it did is because of our stealth." Claus added, "But, they've found us. And they're going to come back eventually to pick off every single one of us."

Ness and Lucas shared a glance, brows knitted. They each knew exactly what the other was thinking just through that look. Claus had started the trading route for a reason, after all. Lucas looked at him hopefully. Ness hesitated, looking at Ninten, then to the surviving villagers, then back to Lucas. To his relief, Ness weakly nodded.

"No they won't." Ness decided, "Because they won't find you."

"Pardon?" Claus asked.

"Come with us." Lucas said, "Come to Onett. Live with us until this war is over."

Claus blinked, surprised, "...I was hoping you'd emit such a thing. Would your leader be opposed to the thought?"

"She'd have to let you. She wouldn't possibly let a dying village dwindle, would she?" Lucas asked.

"Madame Kumatora is tough, but she isn't heartless. Of course she'll take you in." Ness assured, "But we need to hurry, and hurry fast. Those guys could be back at any moment."

"I-I…!" Claus paused, looking around. He hesitated a bit longer, before gripping his hands into fists, and hanging his head, "...Right. I'll gather everyone up. Ness, stay with Ninten and keep him warm. Lucas, could you try and find any other survivors? Someone's gotta be trapped under the rubble."

Both Lucas and Ness gave a nod to the order. Lucas quickly set to work, clawing through any large piles debris. Commonly, he'd find his hand touch a soft body, but he would come to find them perished. Lucas felt like throwing up each time. Men, women, and even a few children, all having their lives taken for no reason. Lucas found himself looking at a younger boy who looked around his age, eyes closed and mouth slightly ajar. How calm he looked. Lucas drew in his lip to try and block any more tears as he cupped the boy's face. It could've been him. It could've been Ness. It could've been anyone, but it just had to be this boy.

'If only I had stayed…' Lucas thought guiltily, 'Then maybe I could've protected you.' Now he understood Claus' dread.

In the end, he found nothing. It seemed as if he'd turned over every rock and every slate, but nonetheless, no one else seemed to have survived the ordeal. By the time he'd given up and returned to the clearing, Claus was on the ground, hiding his face in his hands. The remaining villagers sat among him, clinging to each other fearfully. Ness, in particular, was surrounded by three children who stuck to him like glue. Lucas recognized them as a few of his students. Ness stared at the ground as the poor things silently wept to themselves. He was still holding Ninten, who was once again awake, but only just barely.

"...Claus," Lucas spoke softly. His brother shifted, having heard him, but didn't respond. Lucas continued, "...We should probably get going quickly. We can't risk having those guys come back."

"Lucas is right. We need to split. Ninten, can you stand?" Ness asked. Ninten nodded, taking the hand that Ness had offered. As he helped him stand up, Ninten stumbled, falling into him. Ness supported him with an arm around his shoulders, "I gotcha."

"I'm fine." Ninten muttered, lightly pushing Ness away. However, he immediately lost his footing again and grabbed back onto Ness, who said nothing and instead helped him up again. Ninten, too distracted to focus on embarrassment, looked to Claus, who had gotten up, "Is there a plan?"

"Yes, we decided while you were passed out. We are making the journey to Onett, where we will take refuge. We'll be safe there." Claus said. Ninten's brow furrowed.

"Fie! Unknown needs no one's help!" Ninten insisted.

"I understand your pride, Storm, but Unknown needs help now more than ever! There comes a time in every man's life when he needs to back down." Claus replied.

"Wherefore, to stoop so low as to request to seek refuge in someone else's town? What are we, field mice? Down with it, I say!" Ninten demanded.

"I want to prove Unknown's strength as much as you do, old friend. But war is upon us, and we are in danger. Let us recover, then we can be strong, as we once were." Claus said. His voice was dull and monotone. All the life had disappeared from it. "...Somehow."

Ninten clenched his jaw, clearly wanting to fire right back, but he looked around again at the destroyed village. He stubbornly averted his eyes, and said nothing else. He was standing as far away from Ness as he could, while still being able to keep a grip on him to stay upright. The strange electrical weapon he'd been jabbed with had felt like nothing he'd ever felt before. He could still feel tingling all over.

Claus looked around once more to make sure everyone was with him. After a quick head count, he turned to Lucas and Ness, hands placed behind his back. His eyes looked dead and empty.

"We are ready." Claus said, "Lead us where you may."

Ness nodded, "...Right. Put your hoods on, conceal yourselves. Keep your guard up at all times, and try to charge up your PSI as much as possible in case of another attack."

He was met with a murmur of agreement, as the surviving villagers pulled their hoods over their faces. They also slipped on their eye masks; enchanted items they used to strengthen vision. With Ness keeping Ninten steady, Lucas holding the hands of two trembling children, and Claus offering to carry the infant from before, they reluctantly set off towards the forest. As they stepped over piles of rubble and made their way to the thicker area of the woods, Claus looked over his shoulder and back at the place that had become his home. Lucas' heart broke when looking at his twin's distraught face.

"Oh, look out," Lucas alerted one of the kids he was leading, who had nearly tripped over a fallen tree. He gripped her hand tighter and assisted her in climbing over, "Steady, now. Up you go."

When she was back on the ground, she looked up at Lucas with bright eyes, "Is Leader Hawkeye gonna be alright?"

Lucas bit his lip and looked at the back of Claus' head, which he kept held high. He sighed and looked back down to her, "...He'll get there. All of us will."

"Will we be safe in your town?" Asked the child on his other side.

"I'm sure you will." Lucas answered.

"Promise?"

Lucas paused, and let his eyes trail to the ground.

"...Promise."


	2. Claus, Just Claus

"What are they _doing_ here?"

"Goodness, they're all bleeding! What happened?"

"Someone go get the apothecary!"

The moment the small group of people had passed through Onett's portal and stumbled into the hidden town, they were swarmed with onlookers. Even upon being faced with several people all wishing for answers, Claus and his villagers remained silent, looking at the ground below them. Lucas began to try and lead them through the crowd, as did Ness.

"Stand clear, give them room to breathe!" Ness said, "Listen, we need to see Kumatora right away! Where is she?"

"Ness, what is the _meaning_ of all this?" Asked one Onettan; a neighbour Lucas recognized.

"I'll explain everything later, but first, I need Kumatora and any medical help!" Ness repeated. He turned to Claus and leaned in close, "Come along, we'll get you somewhere safe. We'll get your people to a hospital."

"Bless you, Raven." Claus whispered, his voice quivering.

"Ness!" Called another citizen, "I just got word, Kumatora's in the town hall. Better get over there quick; best to bring the leader with you."

"Alright, then we gotta go now. Claus, come with me. We should probably take Lucas too." Ness decided, waving Lucas over. He passed a reluctant Ninten to another villager, "Ninten, we'll be back. Let's get to it, Claus!"

"R-Right, then." Claus bowed his head. He noticed that a few Onettans had begun to approach the Unknown villagers, who were resisting a bit. "Unknown! Please, just go along with it, they do not mean you harm. I'm off to speak with Onett's mayor, so let these people help you."

In response to their leader's order, the tentative villagers reluctantly allowed themselves to be aided. Claus then motioned for Ness to lead the way, which he did. Lucas took his brother's arm and guided him. As they travelled through the streets of Onett, they were met with the whispers of people who'd heard about the ordeal. Ness could only cross his fingers and pray that Kumatora would understand.

* * *

"I want an explanation, and I want it now."

Lucas, Ness, and Claus stood face to face with a sharply dressed, intimidating woman. She stood with her hands behind her back and her green eyes narrowed. The rouge hue in her hair was enough to match the fire in her gaze. Onett's mayor; Kumatora.

Ness swallowed nervously and nodded.

"U-Um, yes, right away," Ness stammered, "Well, I...seem to have brought a large group of Unknown villagers into Onett."

"I can clearly see that! And you did it without my permission!" Kumatora hissed, "What were you thinking, bringing foreigners into our town at a time like this? With the threat of war breathing down our necks?"

"You know about all that?" Ness asked.

"Of course I do, do you think I'm stupid?" Kumatora replied, leaning over her desk, "That is the most dangerous thing you could do! Onett is hidden for a reason!"

"B-But ma'am-"

"But _what?!_ "

Lucas stepped forwards, "Madam, we had no other choice! We-"

Claus put a hand on Lucas' arm and hastily interrupted, "Lucas, please, if I may," He approached Kumatora and pulled away his hood, exposing his face, "I am Hawkeye; Leader of Unknown. Otherwise, I am Claus, Lucas' brother."

"Yes, I've heard of you." Kumatora nodded.

"And I, you." Claus nodded back, "I understand your frustration, but my people come to you in a time of need. As you said, war is approaching. Unknown...has been ambushed."

Kumatora perked, "...Ambushed? How so?"

"A massive attack of flying machines and weapons beyond our comprehension." Explained Claus, "Most of us were captured and taken, while the rest were all killed. The ones brought into your town today are the sole remainders."

Kumatora went quiet. She kept her eyes sharp, but didn't protest. Claus went on.

"I am willing to sacrifice my pride as a leader if it means my people will be safe." Claus said. With that, he shrugged off his cloak and began to fold it. He stepped to the edge of Kumatora's desk, bowed his head, and presented the offer, "I am giving you my hood; a hood worn by all the previous leaders before me. It is the symbol of my authority. Please, take it."

Claus set the hood on her desk. Lucas and Ness both looked at each other with disbelief. The boy proceeded to drop to his knees and bow to the floor, touching his forehead to the wooden boards.

"Please, allow my remaining villagers to take shelter. We have women and children," Claus begged. His voice was quaky and tearful. "We will not be an intrusion! We will adapt to Onett's way of life, and we are willing to leave behind our own."

Kumatora watched the defeated leader, who stayed on the ground. He was shaking again. She glanced at the hood placed on her desk and ran her hand over its fabric. Her eyes softened. She looked back at Claus in pity.

"You're Lucas' twin," She murmured, "You are only sixteen?"

"Y-Yes, Madam." Claus replied.

"Someone of your age…" Kumatora said, "For you to lead a population and then lose it. My boy, you're so young."

"An Unknown citizen is considered an adult at my age…" Claus said.

Kumatora bit her lip, eyes filled with sadness. "The fact that a child must beg on his knees to me...what a tragic sight." She rounded her desk and approached Claus, bending down to settle a hand on his back, "You mustn't sacrifice your pride. On your feet."

Claus looked up, his red rimmed eyes wide. "Huh?"

Kumatora helped him stand up, before lifting his coat and offering it back, "I can tell this is a highly sacred object. Please, take it back. You need not pay your way into my town."

"B-But…!" Claus clutched the hood to his chest.

"Hush, now. I am standing before a brave young fellow. You are more courageous than most adults." Kumatora said, "You are welcome here, as are your people."

"Truly?" Claus breathed.

"Yes. I can't promise you that we can provide an environment you are used to, but we will provide as best we can. Your culture is an important thing, and you mustn't lose it. Losing that means that they win." Kumatora assured, "I will see to it that your people are safe."

Claus opened his mouth to speak, but the tears building up in his eyes prevented him from doing so. Gripping his coat tighter, he hung his head and quietly began to sob to himself.

"Bless you, Madam…Bless you…" Claus choked, "Such kindness…"

"Kumatora, thank you," Ness said. Kumatora sharply turned to him.

"And you. You're lucky I don't use you as _kindle_ , Ness." She muttered. "All it takes is one disguised human to be brought in here, and Onett's location is revealed. Understood?"

"Yes'm…" Ness quietly replied.

"Good." Kumatora said, "Now, let's get these poor people settled."

And with that, she led the three boys away, Claus still softly crying into his coat.

* * *

The skies were dark. Claus was asleep; something that took him a while, especially after hearing the news that Ninten had suffered from two seizures since he'd arrived. Lucas had sat with him for nearly an hour, trying to get him calm enough to sleep. Lucas knew that the only person who slept less that Claus was Ness. He prayed that he'd stay within his slumber. When Claus had finally drifted off, Lucas quietly got up and left the room. Down the hall, he saw the flickering of a candle light glowing from the inside of Ness' bedroom. Lucas made his way down and tentatively peered inside, resting a hand on the door frame.

Inside, he saw Ness sitting beside his bed, hiding his face in his hands. Ninten was laying down, arms crossed, taking extra care to look the opposite direction. Lucas gently tapped at the door, getting their attention.

"Hey," Lucas greeted, trying to keep his voice lighthearted, "Ninten? You doing any better?"

"Fine." Ninten muttered.

"Oh, come on, don't be so bitter. I'd expect that attitude used with Ness, but me?" Lucas sighed, walking over and sitting on the bed corner.

"...My bad. It's just…" Ninten rubbed at his eyes, "Nothing. Heed me not."

"He's mad at Claus." Ness filled in the sentence.

"I'm not mad at him!" Ninten insisted, "I'm...slightly disgruntled. Unknown's leader has stopped to low levels."

Lucas, immediately catching on, clicked his teeth, "I get it. He offered up his cape and everything. He doesn't even let me _touch_ it sometimes."

"But he knew Kumatora could be a stern woman. She was already hesitant enough letting Lucas live here when he needed it. He was desperate." Ness reminded.

"Surely he could've been more stern himself. If it were me, I would have _demanded_ she let me into her town." Ninten said.

"Try and be a _little_ bit more sensitive?" Ness said "All that matters is that she said yes. Just be thankful your people are safe."

Ninten eyed him with an irritated glare for a short moment, but didn't seem motivated enough to retort. He simply glanced back down at his hands. Ness could see the darkened lines of his veins through his palms and arms. Whatever this electric weapon had been, it was enough to make an imprint on his skin. He didn't even want to imagine what such a shock would feel like. No wonder Ninten was more irritable than usual.

The sudden rattling of the windows caught their attention. Ness, brow furrowed, walked over to tighten the locks, but found them perfectly in place. The rumbling continued. He looked out, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual streetlights of Onett and the distant shapes of city buildings. Lucas was about to ask about it, but Ness piped up before he could.

"Aw, Christ…" Ness spat.

"What-?" Lucas asked, leaning over.

Just as he said his last sentence, he saw it; a collection of bright red and green lights passing over Onett in a straight, clean line. The same flying machines from before, he thought. Lucas clutched the bedsheets and stifled a gasp.

"Ah! No! How did they find us?" Lucas breathed.

"Shhh! Hold on a second," Ness whispered.

The three boys stayed quiet, fingers crossed as the droning of the planes passed over them, making the ceiling rafters creak. Lucas settled a hand over Ninten's leg, which he felt under the covers. He could see that his hands were balled into fists, as if Ninten was planning to leap into action if anything happened. However, the sound came and went, before disappearing into the distance. Ness watched until the lights disappeared from view, then breathed a sigh of relief.

"They didn't see us. They're past Onett's borders." He assured, walking back to his chair and slumping down.

"What happens the day they find out where we are?" Lucas asked.

"They won't, because everyone in Onett knows to keep our location a secret." Ness said, "Remember when you thought Onett was just a myth? A fictional place? Over 90 percent of the world's population thinks that too. Onett isn't on the map, meaning we aren't involved with this war. We're safe."

"Not forever." Ninten spoke, "What happens when a human soldier wants to off himself, so he jumps off the cliffedge, only to stumble into Onett? We're as good as dead then."

"Onett's portal is only available to people with Psionic auras. If you don't have one, you can't pass through." Lucas said.

"We're fine." Said Ness, "Like I said. Off the map."

Ninten went quiet after that. No one found the will to speak. The only sound seemed to be the fluttering of the set of candles nearby. Lucas looked outside again. When would he see the streets be so peaceful again? He prayed that his father was safe. He even prayed for Lighter. He couldn't help it; he found himself praying for Tazmily. He turned in response to hearing the shuffling of paper. Ness had fished into his pocket and retrieved the booklet Flint had given them. Mouth set in a thin line, Ness scanned over the cover. His eyes flickered with dread.

"...'Queen Mary's Reformatory School for Corrupted Youth.'" He read aloud.

"What?" Both Lucas and Ninten asked at the same time.

"The pamphlet that Flint showed us; it's for some sort of reformatory school." Ness explained, tracing a finger over the printed image of a large school building.

"For problem children, do you think? Is it a military school kind of scenario?" Lucas asked.

"I'm not sure, it's…" Ness trailed off as he squinted to read the fine print. Suddenly, his eyes turned dark, '...Oh, _good god_. I didn't think these still existed."

" _What_ does?" Piped Ninten.

"It's a _Psionic_ reformatory school. They get little kids who haven't accessed their PSI yet to go there, with the hopes that they can take it away. It's basically a boarding school where Psychics go to have their PSI ripped away from them." Ness said, "It's really fucked up. I thought they were all closed down years ago, but I guess one survived."

"Jesus, those poor girls!" Lucas breathed. "Remember when I wanted to get rid of _my_ PSI? I didn't even know if it was possible or not."

"It is, and it's painful. PSI is based on your mental awareness and concentration, so these people basically work to brainwash you, thus leaving your PSI unusable. They mentally break you. They leave you as an empty shell." Ninten chipped in, "I've heard of these schools. My mother used to threaten to send me to one when I misbehaved as a child."

"Yeah, it's…" Ness didn't finish his sentence, as he'd become too involved reading through the pamphlet. He seemed entranced by every word and picture. Lucas sighed and turned to Ninten.

"...Are you feeling any better? Any more seizures?" Lucas asked, setting a hand on Ninten's leg again.

"I'm not dead." Ninten shrugged.

"What'd it feel like? Did it feel like being struck by PK Thunder? Because that _hurts_."

"It's strange, I actually don't quite remember." Ninten admitted, "It was like...all of a sudden, my vision went white, and I couldn't feel anything. I don't recall it hurting. Next thing I knew, I was on the ground, and Ness was propped over top of me."

"Yeah, Ness basically saved your life. I hope you said thank you." Lucas said.

"I...may have uttered it." Ninten stammered, looking away.

"Did he really, Ness?" Lucas turned to his friend, who looked up from the booklet and set it to the side.

"If you mean he wrote it on a piece of parchment and stuck it in my pocket," Ness fished out a folded note and revealed a 'thanks' scrawled over it, "Then yes. This isn't even the first time I've saved his life, either."

"That last time happened three months ago, it is irrelevant!" Ninten blatantly clarified.

"Saying 'thanks' isn't that hard, Ninten." Lucas smirked, trying to lift the tension as much as he could. The two boys ignored him.

"Maybe you wouldn't have to thank people if you stopped throwing yourself into danger every time you can." Ness suggested bitterly.

"How _dare_ you, I was protecting my people!" Ninten snarled through his teeth.

"Guys, let's calm down just a notch, I only just got Claus to go to sleep, and I don't want him waking up because you two can't stop acting like a married couple." Lucas sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Too late." Ness mumbled, jerking his head towards the door.

Lucas turned, and exhaled with dread as he spotted the outline of his brother standing in the doorway. Claus looked exhausted, leaning against the threshold for support. Lucas' eyes softened as he stood up and approached him.

"Claus," Lucas murmured, "We didn't mean to wake you, just go back to sleep."

"It wasn't you. I heard the planes overhead." Claus replied weakly. His body was shivering from the cold air, and his bare upper half was covered in goosebumps. Lucas twitched, seeing the pale scars coating his brother's chest and arms; memories of past battles he'd so proudly won. Lucas was quick to shed his jacket and draped it over his shoulders. Claus didn't react, still glaring at the ground. Lucas wished he could see his twin standing with the same humbleness and pride he always had, with his head held high and his shoulders back. But of course, Claus looked just as miserable as he did hours ago.

"Hawkeye, may I begin by clarifying that I am _not_ displeased with you, I'm only-" Ninten quickly began.

"Not here." Claus interrupted.

"...Pardon me, sir?"

"Don't call me such things here. I am no leader where we are. Just forget the formalities, Ninten. We are equals." Claus replied, voice lacking inflection. Ninten stared at him as if he'd grown wings.

"Equals? You and I? B-But _sir-_!"

"Consider this my final order to you. I am Claus. Just Claus. 'Tis the end of it, understood?"

Ninten wavered, debating his words for a moment, "...Aye, alright. Understood, si-" He paused, "... _Claus_."

Lucas watched in dismay as Claus slowly walked to the window without another word. He bit his lip, finding each second more painful than the last.

 _'What've they done to my brother?_ ' He thought, every vein in his body seething with anger. Deciding that sleep was just about impossible at this point, Lucas sighed and spoke aloud, "...What's on your mind?"

Almost immediately, he wanted to take those words back. Both Ninten and Ness faced him, bewildered that he would ask such a thing. Lucas clapped a hand over his forehead. ' _Dammit, Lucas, you moron!_ ' He thought, ' _What do you think is on his mind, idiot?!_ '

"I...I'm not sure." Claus unexpectedly expressed, "There's a feeling deep down inside telling me that…"

Ness leaned forward as Claus trailed off, "...Telling you what?"

"That I need to…" Claus hesitated, "...Go back. It's almost uncontrollable. I just _need_ to get back to Unknown. I know it sounds crazy. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if I've lost my mind already. But I feel like...someone's still there."

The other three all shared looks of pity and discomfort. Without speaking, they tried to prompt each other to reply. Claus, meanwhile, paid them no mind. He settled a hand over the window's surface, letting the cold spread through his palm. His eyes trailed to the nearby silhouette of the forest. All he could think about was that the remains of his village, the place he'd called home for nearly six years, were just scattered there. Just one more, he thought. If he could just find one more survivor. There had to still be one, he thought. Unknown had more than a thousand people, and there had to be at least one who took off into the forest before they could be caught. He rested his forehead against the glass, again not caring about the chill.

"Claus…" Lucas began.

"I need to go back." Claus stated, "I can't just stay here when there could be more survivors without anyone to turn to."

"Well, now, that's just a _fantastic_ idea." Ninten challenged, "What are you to do if the enemy returns?"

"So be it." Claus replied.

"And if you're captured? You're not going anywhere without me!" Ninten decided, propping himself up and preparing to slip off the bed.

"Ninten, you protect the _leader's_ role, mind not whoever fills it. I am just a person to you, now." Claus reminded.

Ninten opened his mouth to protest, but settled back down and fell silent, jaw clenched. Lucas stepped forward, concerned.

"Claus, you need the time to recover." Lucas said.

"I bear no wounds." Claus quietly muttered.

"You bear invisible wounds, ones we cannot see." Ninten said, his voice much softer, "Just because we see no blood nor bruise does not mean you are not hurt."

"Ninten's right, Claus. You need to rest." Ness said.

"Stubborn, _all of you!_ " Claus suddenly spat, "My village has been destroyed! My _child!_ I may be no leader, but I follow no instruction, understood? There could be survivors who are alone and frightened!" He quickly caught himself, immediately recoiling back, regretful of his sudden outburst. Claus took a breath and continued, "...I'm...I'm sorry, I meant not to shout. But I rest my case. Before the entrance to Onett closes once more, I will travel to the remains of my home. Even if it means recovering the smallest artifact. I...I fear my own well being inside my head. I'll lose what's left of my mind if I don't check one last time."

"..." Lucas hesitated, "...Then I'll go too."

"Lucas…!" Claus turned to meet him, shaking his head.

"Having an extra pair of eyes and hands could help you, Claus." Lucas interrupted, "If you won't let Ninten help you, at least let me do it."

"And me." Ness added, standing up confidently.

"No." Lucas immediately replied.

"What? Why?" Ness asked, knitting his brows as Lucas pulled him in close by the arm.

" _You need to stay here and make sure Commander Batshit-Crazy over there doesn't get up and do something stupid._ " Lucas whispered, jerking his head towards Ninten.

"Bold of you to assume I can keep him at bay at _all_." Ness raised a brow. Lucas frowned.

"I need you to try. I'll go with Claus, and we'll take a look around." He said, putting a hand on Claus' arm to silence him from protesting any more, "You stay here and take care of Ninten. What happens if he goes into another seizure with no one to turn him over?"

"...Fine. You got me." Ness sighed, "But you gotta promise that you'll hurry, okay? The portal doesn't stay open forever."

"If we get stuck behind, we'll find a way to survive." Lucas assured, "If we're going to make it before the entrance closes, then we need to go now."

"Good luck, I guess." Ness said. He glanced at Ninten, who was looking away. He nudged him, "...Ahem. Ninten, our friends are leaving to go on a dangerous mission."

Ninten shifted his sharp gaze back to Ness, clicked his teeth, and gave a quiet sigh, "...Godspeed." He muttered reluctantly.

Claus nodded, barely even looking at him. Lucas winced, unable to handle the tension anymore. He patted his brother's shoulder and motioned towards the door. As they both exited, Lucas cast a weary, uneasy look back at Ness, who simply bowed his head in another wish of luck. Lucas managed to form some assemblance of a grateful smile, and although it was broken and weak, it was enough to have Ness smile back. With that, Lucas turned around and exited the room.

Almost immediately, he was met with Claus, who held two black bundles in his arms, one of which was tossed to Lucas. He glanced down in confusion, realizing that it was a traditional Unknown hood. By the time he looked back up at Claus, the redhead had already donned the coat. Claus noticed Lucas' look of puzzlement.

"For concealment. It's night; we'll blend in with the shadows nicely." Claus flatly explained.

"You're not wearing your original one." Lucas pointed out as he shrugged the hood over himself and pulled the hood over his face.

"...'Tis a garment I no longer deserve to wear. As I said, I am no leader here." Claus muttered, "Come. We must hurry."

"R-Right." Lucas only nodded, thinking to himself as they hastily made their way downstairs and out of the house, ' _...God, or whoever's up there, keep us safe. Amen, and all that. Thanks._ '

* * *

Lucas swore he'd turned over the same wooden platform several times. Nearly two hours had gone by, and Claus still wasn't letting up. The poor boy was relentless, insisting that every square inch of land be searched. Lucas figured that it was his own damn fault for getting into this, but if it meant easing Claus' nerves just a bit, than he'd search the entire country. That being said, Lucas still wanted to get back to Onett before trouble arose. On the way back to Unknown's remains, several army planes had passed overhead. Lucas remained calm, knowing that they wouldn't find Onett. Even if they had, Ness would've sent him a telepathic message. But each time one flew by, Lucas felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He could only guess what types of cargo those planes could be carrying. He prayed it wasn't people.

Arriving back in the ruins of what was once a thriving village, Lucas couldn't find the words to describe it. He'd completely forgotten that people had died here, and found himself stumbling over a soft, limp shape every once in a while. Lucas had simply swallowed his uneasiness and went along with the search. And now, almost two hours later, he'd found nothing. Every time he'd search in a pile of debris and spot the familiar shape of a person, his short lived hope of finding a possibly unconscious survivor would be doused when he'd check for a pulse and find nothing. He at least had the relief of knowing that the vast majority of Unknown had been taken instead of killed. As much as he hated to admit it, twenty or thirty deaths was more desirable than hundreds.

Besides, a different kind of dread was hanging around him. A type of dread he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Lucas," Claus suddenly asked from a few paces away, looking up from a pile of crushed bricks, "Did you check the bunkers?"

Lucas nearly drew blood from how hard he was biting his own tongue, stifling a frustrated reply. He took a moment to calm himself down, pushing away the anger he knew he shouldn't have had. Lucas took a deep breath and forced himself to speak in the calmest voice he could manage.

"Yes, Claus. They're empty." Lucas assured. He voice still shook.

Claus had asked the same question nearly thirteen times since they'd arrived.

When he'd repeated himself after the first time, Lucas assumed it was just the shock weighing down on Claus. But as time dragged on, one repetition turned to several. Lucas kept giving the same answer, hoping that it was just his own mind playing tricks on him. But as Claus continued to repeat himself, Lucas' sliver of hope began to die out. This, combined with his brother uncharacteristically lashing out earlier, began to conclude Lucas' fear. Claus' mind was beginning to take the same turn as Flint's did several years back. Every time Lucas turned to look at his twin's face, his eyes had the same, glassy look that Lucas knew so well. He prayed that it was just a phase. Surely, Claus was too young to experience such a mental break. But every time Lucas caught his eye, Claus looked even more confused and lost. For now, all he could do was cross his fingers.

Lucas hoisted himself over a collapsed watchtower, straining his neck to try and get a better look around him. With the foundation of the town completely destroyed, he could barely tell what he was looking at. Nearby, he saw Claus pushing over a small tree. Lucas prepared to hop off the large pile, ready to help his brother, but something caught his eye. Just near his foot; a shadow. Lucas couldn't quite tell what it was at first, for it was too dark. Upon producing a plume of flames in the palm of his hand, he stooped down to investigate. A pang of nausea overcame him as he realized it was just another body. And with how still they were, he wasn't too confident on them being alive. But Lucas stayed where he was, as something else captured his attention. He narrowed his eyes, confused.

' _...Those clothes_.' He thought, ' _Those don't look like Unknown uniforms._ '

What was this person doing here? Lucas bent down again to observe further.

' _These legs...way too broad and stocky._ ' He concluded, ' _They kinda look like-_ '

Just as Lucas settled a hand over the calf of the person, he was suddenly greeted by a sharp twitch of movement. Lucas choked on his own gasp, but failed to stifle his scream of fright as he stumbled back. Claus, alerted by his brother's cry, immediately raced over, eyes wide and alarmed.

"What?! Lucas, what is it?" Claus breathed, wasting no time climbing up the destruction and rushing to Lucas' side.

"I-It moved! That person, they're alive!" Lucas stammered, hand clamped over his chest, "They're not from Unknown!"

"Not from…?" Claus' whisper trailed off, and he inched forwards to get a better look.

He looked to Lucas and motioned for him to come over with a jerk of his head. The two brothers carefully settled their grasp on the person's shoulders, and tried to turn them over as gently as possible. Their skin was just barely warm, and a light croaking sound came from the back of their throat. It was a man, they both concluded. His face was too dirty and bloody to recognize anything. He looked like he'd been through a warzone.

"Jesus Christ!" Lucas gasped, "Hold on, we can help you! Can you speak?"

The person replied, but with a barely intelligible mess of words that neither brother could understand. Lucas set to work warming the person up with his PSI, while Claus supported their head. The man was clearly trying to grab at Lucas, weakly raising his hand and nudging Lucas' arms. He continued to try and speak, but his attempts were still impossible to understand.

"I-I can't understand what you're saying, just breathe," Lucas assured, "You're gonna be alright, okay?"

"...The…" The man seemed to get a better grasp on his speech. He coughed a bit in a desperate attempt to clear his throat, "...The...the town…"

"What?"

"...Th-they…" Another wobbly reply, "...C-Claus…"

Claus' eyes widened as he shared a concerned look with Lucas.

"Y-You know my name?" Claus asked. The man blinked, as if to answer. He then glanced towards Lucas.

"...Lucas…" He breathed, "...Me. See me..?"

"How do you know who we are? Where are you…?" Lucas trailed off as he inspected the man further. He looked over the clothing and the matted brown hair. He was about to suggest taking him to Onett as well, but he suddenly realized something key. "...Oh god."

"What is it?" Claus urged.

"Claus…!" Lucas panted, increasing his PK Fire, "Claus, it's _Lighter!_ "

"H-Huh?! Lighter?!" Claus gasped, "What the hell's he doing here?"

Lighter breathed a weak sigh of relief upon being recognized. He struggled to lift his head and made sure to look both boys in the eyes. Lucas, heart racing, immediately began to go through any possible reason as to why Lighter was here. He gingerly helped him into a sitting position, craving for an explanation.

"Lighter," Lucas said, trying not to overwhelm him, "I know you're hurting, but you need to tell us what's going on. Find your strength!"

"T-Tazmily…" Lighter rasped, managing to find his words, "W-We were attacked...same as you…"

"Tazmily's been raided?" Lucas repeated in disbelief, "W-What happened?!"

"Planes...they took away most of us…" Lighter said, each word causing more pain, "...Only a few deaths...I-I escaped...tried to find you…"

"You came all the way from Tazmily to find us?" Claus asked, "Did anyone else escape?"

"Just me…" Lighter confirmed, "...I think just me. I didn't look...i-it went by too fast."

"Where did they take everyone?" Asked Lucas.

"U-Up North, I heard them say…" Said Lighter, pointing in a random direction, "To the Northern cities."

Lighter suddenly began to violently cough. Lucas winced, knowing that each heave must've been putting the poor man through horrible pain. As Lighter struggled to breathe despite the blood building up in his throat, he patted around for something to grab onto for support. Lucas offered his arm, which Lighter gripped with all his remaining strength. Lighter weakly looked him in the eye.

"Lucas," Lighter choked, "Th-They've got your dad."

It took Lucas a few moments to process, before the realization hit him. All in under one second, his heart nearly stopped, and his breath hitched in his throat.

"What?!" Lucas cried, "Is he okay?! Lighter, please tell me he's alright!"

"Lucas, give him space-!" Claus reminded, "Lighter, please…"

"He's alive…" Lighter said, "Your dad's okay. But I dunno what the hell they're gonna do with 'em."

Lucas stared down at the ground, breathing heavily, "...They took dad...C-Claus, they took dad! What're we gonna do?!"

"Lucas, calm down! Freaking out isn't going to solve anything!" Claus urged.

"B-But dad's sick! His mind doesn't work properly! What happens if he forgets, and…?!"

"God dammit, shut your trap, child!" Lighter interrupted, coughing again, "Flint's one of the toughest guys I know. But if there's one thing I know damn well, it's that his kid is tougher. Both of 'em are."

"But I-"

"I said _hush_ , for Pete's sake!" Lighter spat, "Ain't you Hinawa's boy? The answer on what to do is clear, then! Get your keister outta here and go get your dad back!"

"Go after him?" Lucas repeated in disbelief, "Lighter, he's been taken by what I can only guess is a crazy powerful army! What's one kid gonna do? Especially a kid who _just_ got how to use his powers?"

"You didn't know shit about how to use 'em when you took off to Onett, that's for sure." Lighter growled, "And yet, look at you, you made it anyways. I can wish the devil on Psychics all I want, but you bunch are powerful, I tell you what."

"...L-Lighter…"

"Don't ' _Lighter'_ me! Lucas, if this army's taking people hostage from both sides, that means this ain't just a war between the two. It's the monarchy against the people." Lighter suddenly spoke with more strength, though his eyes were growing darker, "If I'm gonna die here, I wanna hear you promise that you'll do all it takes to get Flint back."

"You're not going to die, Lighter." Lucas assured, though very unsure himself.

"Don't be an idiot, I got shot, like, ten times." Lighter sighed, "Listen, I'm sorry for all the shit that happened. I'm sorry we chased you out of Tazmily. I'm sorry for hurting that Ness kid. There's no other word I can say except for sorry. But your dad is still alive out there, and you're the only ones who can go get him. Promise me, Lucas. Promise me now."

"I-I…" Lucas stammered. Lighter was right; he wasn't going to last long. He glanced up to Claus, who had desperate eyes. He once again bore the look of a grieving leader. Claus bit his lip, as if stifling his own plea.

"Lucas." Claus murmured, "He's our father. He's the only family we have left. A-And my _people_ , Lucas. I can't just do nothing."

"..." Lucas' voice failed him. He grit his teeth, unable to tear away from Claus' stare. All he wanted was to get off of the pedestal he'd been placed upon. The angel and demon sitting upon his shoulders each whispered to him with their seductive words. Lucas sighed and glanced back down at Lighter, "L-Lighter, I-"

He stopped. Below him, Lighter had gone still. The man's eyes had gently closed, leaving his previously troubled face now peaceful. Lucas' heart was tugged with dread. He stared down at the motionless Tazmilian, now coming to a conclusion that he didn't want to say out loud. Claus leaned over as he realized what had happened. While Claus raised a shocked hand to his mouth, Lucas stayed still and quiet, his dark eyes cast down at Lighter. An overwhelming pit of guilt began to grow inside of him. He gently lowered him back onto the platform they sat upon.

"...He's dead." Lucas murmured, "Lighter's dead."

"Oh god, Lighter…" Claus breathed, "L-Lucas, what now?"

Lucas let his head fall back as he looked up into the sky. He murmured a quick, silent prayer for Lighter's life, but stayed looking up at the stars. He stayed there for what seemed like hours, just mindlessly gazing up. The rims of his eyes felt hot, but no tears came out. He tensed up, trying to force them out, but they refused. Lucas drew in his lip and lowered his head again. A stressed exhale left his lips. In the corner of his vision, he could see Lighter's hand. He noticed the dried blood staining the palm. He noticed the dirtied, callused fingertips, shaped from years of village work. He remembered his father's weak hands. Flint wasn't even that old, and he was already beginning to grow frail. Lucas could already see him, alone and afraid somewhere, keeping the brim of his hat lowered in order to cover his distressed eyes.

Lucas turned to meet Claus' gaze.

"First, we go back to Onett." He decided.

Claus opened his mouth to protest, but Lucas put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"And then," Lucas interrupted with a stern voice, "We go get dad back."

Claus blinked, surprised. Once he processed what Lucas had said, he narrowed his eyes.

" _And_ we rescue my people." He added.

"Right."

Giving Lucas an assertive look, praying to god he was serious, Claus bowed his head and motioned for Lucas to help him with Lighter. The brothers each fastened their hands under the poor man's body and lifted. Lighter was surprisingly easy to pick up, despite his size. He fell completely limp in their arms. How unnatural, Lucas thought. Lighter was supposed to be full of energy.

' _God dammit, Lighter._ ' Lucas thought to himself as he and Claus took him into the deeper trees, ' _I'm not supposed to miss you. I'm supposed to hate you_.'

They decided not to bury him. Some animal would find him eventually if they did. So, the two proceeded to find a clear enough space, covered the body with wooden remains, and set it ablaze. With luck, the grave would settle by daylight. After watching the flames for a while and making sure nothing in the surrounding area would catch fire, Lucas and Claus walked away without a single exchanged word. Lucas' movements were almost machine-like as he left behind Lighter's body. He couldn't think of a single word he describe how he felt. Perhaps it was an emotion that hadn't been discovered yet, and he was the first to experience it. His heart hung heavy, but still beat with the same determination as always. His skin was flared with goosebumps, but the adrenaline coursing through him was enough to combat them. While Lucas wanted to despise Lighter with all his being, he couldn't help but forgive his apology. Somehow, deep down, he knew the man meant it. A strange emotion, Lucas thought to himself.

' _The Lucas Effect_ '. He decided. ' _That's what I'll call it, named after me. An emotion I can't describe.'_

His thoughts were interrupted as Claus suddenly halted. Lucas faced him, one brow raised. In the distance, he could still see the glow of the fire. Claus was glaring at the ground, eyes narrowed in what looked like confusion. Lucas tipped his head to the side.

"...Claus?" He murmured.

Claus twitched, as if breaking out of his trance, then looked up to lock eyes. His face was slightly alarmed.

"L-Lucas, wait," He held up a hand, "Did you check the bunkers?"

After a few moments of stunned silence, Lucas' previously dry eyes welled up with tears. Ignoring Claus' question, he simply walked over, took Claus' hand, and began to lead him back into the direction they'd been going in. Claus was puzzled by his brother's odd behaviour, but kept his mouth shut.

He would check the bunkers next time.

* * *

When Ness heard the sounds of shuffling in the downstairs area of his home, he didn't expect to see Lucas packing a bag of all things. Confusion written clearly on his face, Ness hastily made his way down the main hall and to the staircase. Along the way, he brushed past Claus, who said nothing as he hurried past Ness without even a wave. Ness watched him rush into the room where Ninten was still resting, before he once again returned his attention to Lucas. As Ness ran down the stairs as fast as he could without tripping, he saw that Lucas had his travel bag out and set on the table. The blond was rushing here and there, rummaging through drawers and retrieving things he apparently needed. Lucas' face was blank. Ness stood at the bottom of the stairs, dumbfounded.

' _...Oh no._ ' Ness thought, fighting back the urge to clap a hand over his forehead, "Lucas, what's going on?"

"I'm gonna try to fit as much into a few minutes as possible. Ready?" Lucas prepared.

"...I'm guessing I have to be." Ness sighed.

On cue, Lucas unleashed everything that had happened back in Unknown's deserted territory. He explained how Lighter begged him to rescue Flint, and how the man had died minutes later. Ness listened, jaw slightly ajar and eyebrows raised. He took everything in at once, not taking his time to process what was being said to him. As Lucas continued to rush, frantically packing anything he could into his satchel, Ness stood completely frozen at his spot. At one point, Lucas had clearly run out of things to pack, as he eventually just began pacing back and forth, delivering his tale at a rapid fire speed.

"And that is why I need to prepare as quickly as possible, because who _knows_ how long I'm gonna be gone?! And seeing how many times I almost died the last time I made a desperate flee into the forest, I need to pre plan!" Lucas insisted, jamming his fist into his other palm.

"A-And you're doing this _alone…?_ " Ness sputtered, suddenly finding his voice.

"Well, no, Claus is with me." Lucas said, grabbing his bag off the counter and shrugging it on.

"So am I! Lucas, for Christ's sake, at least give me a second to get my jacket!" Ness rushed to the front door, where the coat rack was. Lucas followed, sharply moving in front of him to block his path.

"Whoa, hey. You're not going." Lucas said. Ness blinked, and tried to detour around him. No matter where he went, the much taller Lucas kept him from advancing.

" _I'm_ not going? The guy who knows how to survive in the forest? Oh, yeah. Okay. Sure. Let me go get my jacket, Lucas." Ness muttered.

"I already have someone with me who knows how to survive in the forest, and he's been doing it for six years of his life." Lucas argued, "Don't forget that you have a job to do."

With his last comment, Lucas jerked his head back upstairs. Ness rolled his eyes.

"He'll be fine in a day or two, and he's not helpless! If anything, I think he'd prefer it if I left!"

"He's also _idiotically impulsive_ , and he'll do anything to protect Claus, alright? We're going farther than just the forest. With luck, we'll find ourselves at the northern borders of the Nowhere Islands. I need you to stay here and keep Ninten on a leash, got it?"

"You're my best friend, Lucas! I don't want you to get hurt out there!" Ness argued, grabbing Lucas' arm, "When your mom spoke to me in that dream, I promised her that I would keep you _safe._ That promise hasn't ended just because I got you here."

Lucas opened his mouth, ready to fire back a response. But upon meeting Ness' sincere eyes, he slowly let it close. He let his tense body relax a bit, as he let out a frustrated, but composed sigh.

"...I remember that look, Ness. You gave me that look all the time when we met." Lucas muttered, "I don't want you getting killed just because of something Claus and I decided to do. I'm grateful, Ness. I really am. You know that if the circumstances were different, I'd say absolutely. Remember that we are psychics in a human country, Ness."

"Your point being?"

"This isn't an insult, but...I think you and I can both agree that you're really... _proud_ of who you are. And you really aren't afraid of showing it. Ness, I grew up in a human village, where we were taught to slaughter any psychic on sight, no mercy." Lucas grabbed his friend's shoulders, "I care about you too much to watch you get killed by some angry mob."

"I care about you too much to let you do this without me!" Ness insisted.

"No. That's my last answer." Lucas lowered his voice down to a whisper, "Don't tell Ninten I said this. But...I think you're the only one he'll _really_ listen to. You know Ninten; he doesn't listen to anyone. Except for Claus, duh, but he listens to Claus because it's his duty. He listens to you because...well, I dunno why. But he does. Which is why I need you to stay here and make sure he stays put."

"Do you not realize how much _bitching_ I'll have to put up with? How about this, I take your place, and _you_ stay here with Ninten. He _hates_ me. And lord knows, that kid can easily kick my ass whether he's medically stable or not." Ness said.

Lucas tried to glare at him, but he couldn't muster the strength to convey any sort of agitation. He clenched his jaw, debating on what other arguments he could bring up. Eventually, Lucas gave up on speaking. He leaned down to match Ness' height and pulled his friend into the gentlest hug he could. Ness tensed up, but tentatively settled his arms around Lucas as well. Still relatively irritated, he rested his chin over Lucas' shoulder and sighed.

"How about you just...don't go? You _just_ got settled." Ness mumbled, voice breaking, "Not even four months, Lucas. Only just now are you starting to feel at home, and suddenly you're deciding to take off into another life threatening scenario."

"That was all before there was a war approaching, Ness." Lucas replied soundlessly, "You're right; I love it here. I've never felt more at home in my life. But Ness, my dad is alive somewhere. He's alive with a damaged mind. When he gets stressed, it gets worse. He forgets. He can't function. Claus has over a hundred people who depended on him for their safety. Those people are alive right now, fearing for what comes next. I can't be still. I have to do something."

"And I have to stay here to make sure Ninten doesn't accidentally kill himself." Ness replied.

Lucas squeezed him, "Exactly."

Ness didn't answer at first. Lucas felt him let out a long exhale. He never liked making his friend frustrated, but he knew the ends eventually justified the means. Ness clicked his teeth and pulled away, eyeing Lucas with an askew brow.

"I am not happy with you in the slightest." Ness muttered.

"I know."

"I'm, like, the _opposite_ of happy with you."

"I know."

"And the last thing I want to let you do is go off past the portal's entry time so that you can try to rescue nearly a hundred and fifty people. Especially when me going with you would be a pretty good decision."

"Ness…" Lucas prepared to revive his arguments from before.

"But." Ness held up a hand to silence him, "If you're really that insistent on me staying here, then maybe I should just sit down, shut up, and do as I'm told."

Lucas' face brightened, and he smiled, "You mean it? Really?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I'll stay here and keep an eye on Ninten."

With a sigh of relief, Lucas brought Ness back into another hug, this time, tighter.

" _Thank you_ , Ness. That's all I needed to hear."

"Well, you knew that you could get me to give in if you batted those pretty little eyes enough. I'm easy to sway." Ness replied.

The two were cut off by the distant sounds of shouting from upstairs. Ness groaned.

"... _Ninten_ , however…" He trailed off.

A few thumps, the sound of a door flying open, and a scramble of frantic footsteps against the wooden floorboards. First, Ninten appeared, sprinting down the top hallway as if his injuries had never happened. Close behind was Claus, who wasted no time trying to grab the rogue patient.

"For the last time, _no!_ " Claus yelled, "This is for Lucas and I to do alone! Cease this, for heaven's sake, you'll only make your wounds worse!"

"Nay!" Ninten shouted back, whirling back to face Claus, who stood at the top of the steps, "If I don't recall, you yourself claimed that you are no longer a leader! That being said, I follow the guidance of no one! I can do as I please."

"Storm, so help me, get back into that room and rest yourself, or-!" Claus bit down on the rest of the sentence. Ninten narrowed his eyes.

"Or _what, Hawkeye?_ Or should I say, 'Just Claus'?" Ninten replied sharply.

"Or I hereby _strip you_ of your position as Vice Leader!" Claus decided.

Ninten's eyes widened for just a moment, before he returned back to his defiant demeanor.

"Your words are without threat! They are _bare!_ I repeat, _you_ stripped _yourself_ of _your_ authority! In a way, you've retired your leadership, yes? Therefor, that makes me _Leader_ Storm! And as Unknown's newfound Leader, I declare that I will join you on this conquest!"

" _What?!_ " Claus cried. He stammered out a few words, angrily trying to form a coherent sentence that wouldn't bite him in the ass later, "Fine! I see what you're doing! I hereby retract my previous claims and take back my position as Leader Hawkeye! In the guidelines of Unknown authority, a retired leader is capable of doing so!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but something's missing." Ninten snarled, voice brimming with spite.

Claus groaned, rolled his eyes, and angrily trudged to the coat rack. From it, he retrieved his original, golden embroidered coat. He carelessly tossed it over himself and crossed his arms, "There. Happy?! I am the leader again! Disobey me once more, and _then_ you shall be stripped of your title."

"I want to come with you, sir." Ninten said sternly.

"I'm not letting you cross the country and get put in possible danger with an injury. If you were in good health, I would let you come, but right now, you need to rest. It's called 'calming down', _and you should try it!_ "

"But-!"

"No! Need I repeat myself? I am the leader of Unknown, and your job is to obey my orders. You will stay here and heal. Ness will join you, and he will make sure you don't elope."

Ninten's jaw dropped, as he turned to face Ness with utter betrayal plastered over his face. Ness crossed his arms and nodded, cementing Claus' decision. Ninten narrowed his eyes and advanced on him.

" _You_ are not under his authority! _You_ can disobey!" Ninten hissed.

"Claus? Easily. But _this one_ has me by the throat." Ness cocked his head towards Lucas, "They're both right, Ninten. You're not even in the right shape to _stand up_ right now. Look at you, you're shaking. Let the twins handle it."

"B-But…!" Ninten stammered. He stared back at Ness, then turned to Lucas, then to Claus. His attention shifted from person to person, but he eventually realized that he was entirely alone. Outnumbered and defeated, Ninten clenched his jaw and crossed his arms, averting his eyes to the floor. Noticing that Ninten's shoulders were trembling slightly, Ness approached him, concerned. Was he feeling ill, he thought?

"...Ninten, come on," Ness murmured, before recoiling slightly, "...Are you crying?"

" _No_ , I am _not-!_ " Ninten spat, cupping a hand over his face. Ness noticed the visible glisten under his eyes, but said nothing. Ninten let out a stressed sigh through his teeth, "Th-They're _my_ people too."

Claus' previously sharp eyes then softened. Instantly regretting his rough words, he approached his second in command and bent his knees a bit to meet his height. Keeping Ninten's comfort in mind, he refrained from touching him, but hovered a supportive hand nearby just in case. Ninten saw him approach, and ducked away even farther. A light sniffle escaped from him.

"Storm-" Claus began, but quickly rephrased himself, "...Ninten, I know you're used to doing things by my side."

"'Tis my _job_ , sir! This is what you _appointed_ me for!" Ninten straightened back up, now exposing his slightly red rimmed eyes, "Our town is gone, and I failed to stop it! I want to redeem myself, no matter what the cost!"

"Even if it costs you your _life_ , Ninten? Even so?" Claus replied, the harsh edge returning to his tone, "I appointed you because you are the most hardworking, devoted combatant Unknown has to offer. I know that if I am lost, you will rise as an even better leader than I! Do you really want to strip your people of such a future?"

Ninten hesitated, "...S-Sir?"

"No matter how good a leader they say I am, you and I both know damn well that the village will _flourish_ under your ruling. The only reason I haven't stepped down already if because of your devotion. Unknown cannot lose you, Ninten. The _people_ cannot lose you." Claus' voice wavered, as his eyes trailed to the ground, " _...I-I_ can't lose you."

The room went quiet. Ninten stared down Claus with the wrath of a thousand gods, but couldn't hide the compassion behind his gaze. He looked as if he were dying to speak, but something was stopping him. Seeing as the gates had not yet been broken down, Ninten crossed his arms again. Claus grit his teeth, giving a sigh resembling that of a parent dealing with a young child.

"...Fine. I suppose I have no other choice. Subordinate General Storm." Claus began, "You will stay here, let your wounds heal, and listen to whatever Master Professor Raven tells you without complaints."

Ninten snapped back up, eyes wide, "...You wouldn't dare."

"I would, and I will." Claus tilted his chin up defiantly, returning to his normal height.

"Don't say it." Ninten said.

"That's. An. _Order._ " Claus declared, straightening his cape and pining the two front buttons into place. For a moment, it looked as if he'd returned to his normal, eloquent demeanor. Despite the bags under his eyes and the remaining haunt in his stare, Claus resembled the leader he once was.

Ninten balled his hands into fists, attempting to challenge his superior at first. Lucas and Ness watched with pale faces, holding onto each other in fear that the vice leader may do something in repercussion. Wondering whether Ninten would choose between protecting his leader or following his leader's orders was up in the air at this point. But before either boy could take a guess at the coin toss, Ninten faltered. Lacking the obedient enthusiasm he used to have, he stepped both heels together and raised his arm in a tired salute.

"A-Affirmative, Leader Hawkeye, sir." Ninten mumbled, "I wish you luck on your journey. May past leaders look upon you with guidance, and assure your safety."

With that, he backed away, still glaring at the floor. He settled his hands behind his back. Ness promptly joined his side. He could see Ninten's fingers hastily fidgeting. Whether it'd been out of anger, anticipation, or anxiety, Ness couldn't tell. He bit his lip and offered a comforting hand upon his shoulder, but was naturally shrugged off. Ness clicked his teeth and turned back to the brothers. A shiver went down his spine as he was confronted with the near identical faces, with near identical expressions. He gave a bow of his head, to further Ninten's prayer of luck.

"You should get going. Quickly." Ness murmured, "Lucas, I know you're not too good with telepathy, but...we have a Psionic bond. Maybe now would be a good time to use it."

Lucas couldn't help but give a tired laugh.

"...Yeah, I'll try." He assured, "We'll try to keep in contact in any way we can."

"'Kay." Ness nodded. He look as if he wanted to say something else, but he closed his mouth, lip trembling. He took in a deep breath, before finally breaking down and rushing over to hug Lucas again. Lucas let him lean into his shoulder, and burrowed his face into Ness' hair. He recalled the musty pine scent, praying that it wouldn't become unfamiliar anytime soon. After giving Ness' arm an affection squeeze, assuring his eventual return, Lucas pulled away. He cupped the side of his face and brushed his thumb over Ness' now teary eye, before retracting to hoist up the straps of his bag.

"Off we go, I guess." Lucas said.

"Right." Ness replied. He gave a weak smile, "Hey, Lucas. Don't be so freaked out. I know you are. But...you'll do it. You'll get your dad back. You too, Claus. You'll save them all, I'm sure of it."

Both twins returned a grateful smile back, but Claus' faltered slightly.

"...Let's not get our hopes up just yet." He murmured, "Come, Lucas. We must be off. Ness, please keep Ninten looked after. Assure that he recovers."

"I will." Ness bowed his head. Claus nodded back, before facing Ninten.

"And Ninten…" He began.

" _I know_ , I know, stay put. Aye, sir. I _shall_." Ninten spat, still refusing to make eye contact. Claus winced at his stone cold voice, but shook it off begrudgingly.

"Alright, then. Good." Claus replied with the same bitterness. He then swiftly turned around and headed for the door, "Lucas, we leave now."

"O-Oh, um...okay-!" Lucas took off after him, looking over his shoulder to face Ness again. Ness waved, glanced at Ninten sparingly, and gave Lucas an exasperated look. Lucas only shrugged. "B-Bye, Ness. I'll see you again soon. And you, Ninten. Bye."

"Bye, Luke. Good luck, kid." Ness called back, nudging Ninten, who glared at him in agitation. Ness tipped his head towards Lucas, who hung around the doorway. Ninten squinted, but eventually looked up to meet Lucas' eyes.

"May you return safe and soon." Ninten said. Lucas sensed no disdain in his words, rather, Ninten seemed genuine. Lucas prepared to answer, but was cut off quickly.

"Lucas, I'm not slowing down for you!" Claus called from outside, clearly wasting no time to leave.

"Right, coming!" Lucas replied. He gave one last wave, before disappearing from the threshold and letting the door slowly come to a close.

Upon exiting into the cold night air, Lucas took a quick moment to plant his hand over his arm and whispered a fire incantation, spreading the warmth through his entire body at a steady rate. He searched for the familiar shape of his brother, before speeding up to avoid being left behind. Claus' previously calm nature was now replaced with quick strides and tight fists. Lucas joined his side, deciding to take Claus' mind off of Ninten for a while.

"I-I packed as much as I could." Lucas said, "Enough food to last a few days, at least, if we use it sparingly. A few changes of clothes; you should be able to fit in mine. I have at least two spare maps."

"Good. We can restock when we reach any nearby villages." Claus replied. Lucas nodded, before noticing Claus' overcoat. He hesitated.

"...You're...still wearing your hood, Claus. Are you sure you don't want to take it back to the house?" Lucas asked.

Claus snapped out of his determined trance, his pace seeming to slow a bit. But just as quickly as he did so, he went right back into his quick pace, this time going even faster.

"...N-No." He decided, "I... am Hawkeye, Leader of Unknown. As such, I don this garment."

Lucas paused, surprised, before smiling, "As I thought." He said, "We need to retrace our steps. We need to be able to find evidence on where these soldiers may have gone."

"Well, we've already searched Unknown, both above and below ground. There's not even a footprint there that hasn't been scraped over." Claus said.

"...Then I think we may need to search new ground." Lucas tentatively replied.

Claus was silent for a few seconds as he processed what Lucas meant. He turned to his brother, brows knitted.

"You mean…?" He trailed off.

"I...I think so." Lucas said, "It may be our only chance."

Claus bit his lip, but sighed and turned forwards again.

"...So be it." He decided, "To Tazmily?"

"To Tazmily."

Or at least, Lucas thought, what's left of it.

* * *

Ness wasn't sure what to do at first when Lucas left, shrouding the room in dim light. He watched the door for a moment, halfway wishing the twins would turn back around and enter again. When they didn't, he felt a pang of distress, having not realized before what had just happened. Barely able to comprehend that he may never see his best friend again, Ness forced himself to keep his head up and broke away from Ninten's side. Ninten still stood where he was. Ness saw the clearly visible tears welling up in his eyes, but again chose not to say anything.

"...I guess you oughta get up there, then. You being up on your feet can't be helping too much." Ness muttered, leaning against the wall.

To his surprise, Ninten looked up at him with supposed shock.

"Wait, you're _actually_ going through with this?" Ninten asked.

"What? Well, yeah, of course I am. I made a promise to the twins to keep an eye on you." Ness responded.

"Seriously? Ness, do you not realize what you're allowing to happen?" Ninten approached him, "Isn't Lucas your best friend? You just let him go off into who knows where!"

' _He's still on this?_ ' Ness thought, "Yes, I did, because I trust that he can take care of himself. Something you don't seem to be doing with Claus."

"You _dare_ imply I don't trust my leader?" Ninten hissed, taking a step forward. Ness shrugged.

"Yeah." He said. Ninten's eyes widened.

"I…!" He stammered, "I do, though! B-But-"

"If you trust him, then _respect_ the order he gave you and _chill._ " Ness sternly told him, "For Christ's sake, give it _up_ , Ninten!"

Ninten recoiled, still shocked at Ness' dismissal. He looked him up and down, before scowling and turning away. He pace for a bit, lost in his own thoughts. Ness watched him from the corner of his eye. Ninten looked like he needed a whole hell of a lot of steam to blow off, because his rapid fire steps were neverending. When it finally looked as if Ninten was going to break something, the vice leader approached a wall wooden frame.

"God _dammit!_ " He snarled. Without warning, he rammed the toe of his boot into the frame, putting an impressively sized divot into the wood. Ness shrunk back at the outburst, before rushing over to him.

"Jesus, Ninten-! Do you need to find a sandbag, or…? I know you're mad about this, but..." Ness asked, holding an arm out, ready to catch a now dizzy looking Ninten.

" _No!_ That's not it!" Ninten slammed both hands against the wall, staring it down. With the wavering in his voice and the shaking of his arms, Ness knew that he was now crying and not bothering to hide it. He searched for something to say, wondering what words would set him off or not. With how hotheaded Ninten was, Ness figured that he was treading on a minefield at this point. But before he could say anything, Ninten spoke again, this time much quieter, "...Ness...what if….what if the last thing Claus and I did is _fight?"_

Ness paused, not expecting such a statement. Now understanding the source of Ninten's outrage, his body relaxed. He slowly approached him. Figuring that it was a risk worth taking, Ness raised his hand again and hovered it over Ninten's back. Finally, he tentatively set his palm down. Ninten twitched, his first instinct being to swat him away. But to Ness' surprise and relief, he didn't move. Ninten simply hung his head. Ness gave him a few pats, before hesitantly opening his mouth to speak.

"...Like I said, Ninten." Ness murmured, "...We have to trust him. Claus is powerful, and he has Lucas with him. He'll return. It may take weeks, or even months. But Claus will come back."

"I didn't even _look_ at him. I didn't even see him leave." Ninten breathed, voice gritty with tears.

"It's…" Ness paused, "I-It's okay, Ninten. It'll all be okay, I'm sure. I know a lot is going on, but...can you do me a favour?"

Ninten was silent for a moment. Then, he hastily brought a hand up to wipe his eyes, before facing Ness.

"...Of what sort?" He asked.

"Well, first, I need you to go upstairs and take off your armor." Ness said, "Then, I need you to lay down, close your eyes, and go to sleep. If not for me, then for Claus. And if not for him, then for yourself. Please, Ninten. You never _ever_ have to listen to me again; just this once. _Please_ go sleep."

The desperation in Ness' tone clearly affected Ninten, as he groaned and reluctantly nodded his head.

"...Aye. If it's so damn important, then I guess I can lay down." Ninten said, turning around and making his way to the staircase. "I'm _not_ doing this because I like you. I'm doing this for me."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, as long as you get some god forsaken rest. Even just thirty minutes, I don't care. Just because I'm a shitty insomniac doesn't mean you get to be one." Ness called up to him as Ninten made his way back to the end bedroom.

Ninten didn't reply; he only sent Ness an irritated glance, before promptly closing the door behind him. Ness listened for a moment, and the creaking of floorboards told him that Ninten had indeed gotten into bed. He sighed, relieved. He looked back at the crack in the wall frame. Jesus, he thought. He'd never seen Ninten so fragile in all the time he'd known him. Even when thinking back to the days when Ninten would catch him trespassing in Unknown territory, stealing one thing or another, he'd never been that ferocious. The fire and bloodthirst in Ninten's eyes back then didn't even compare to the raw guilt and despair that plagued the poor boy now. Ness considered going back to the room as well to make sure Ninten didn't go anywhere, but something deep down told him that Ninten would adhere to his request. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was there. That was enough.

Ness, his mind blank, made his way to the living area, where he then plopped down onto one of the stiff armchairs. His body screamed for rest. Everything felt tired. But, despite how exhausted he was, his mind was wide awake. Ness was used to this; countless nights of just sitting alone in the dark, as sleep wasn't entirely an option for him sometimes. No matter how tired he got, no matter how much his eyes stung and his body ached, his brain demanded to stay awake. This was nice sometimes, as Ness didn't mind the time alone to reflect and unwind. But at the same time, he just wanted to go the fuck to sleep.

However, there was no way he could drift off with recent events in mind. He reached to the side, using PK Fire to ignite a set of candles. Ness leaned into the chair, letting his head fall back. He stared up at the wooden ceiling and followed the patterns with his gaze. Something about tonight felt different. It was quiet. While Ness was used to it being mostly silent, the thin walls allowed for him to often hear Lucas's steady breathing or his frequent sleeptalking. He smirked. Lucas said the darndest things when he talked in his sleep. Ness recalled the time when Lucas spoke to someone about the inner workings of a furnace with education that he didn't seem to remember upon waking up. There were, of course, the nights when Lucas would mutter something absolutely terrifying, enough to make Ness light a few more candles. Like the time Lucas claimed that the dead were currently rising from their graves and approaching the house. The certainly made Ness' skin crawl. Funny, Ness thought. What would he give to hear one of Lucas' ramblings, even the frightening ones, just to escape the unbearable silence. Just to be sure that his best friend was safe up in his room.

Ness' face twitched when he noticed an uncomfortable jab in his thigh. He shifted, feeling something poke into him. Ness looked down and patted his leg, before reaching into his pocket. He then fished out something he forgot he had; the paper pamphlet that Flint had given Lucas. Ness frowned upon seeing the cover again, fighting back the urge to tear in into pieces.

' _Fuckin' psychopaths._ ' Ness thought.

Mindlessly, he overturned it and looked inside. Previously, he'd been unable to make out some of the finer details because of the dim light. But because of the candles beside him, he got a better view. The three sections detailed the usual things he expected to see. Images of the inside of the school, explaining the wonderful living conditions and top notch schooling. Included was an interview with who he presumed was the headmaster, who explained just how much their school had saved the lives of hundreds of corrupted youth. Ness sneered at the overly confident language.

' _For years, Queen Mary's Boarding Prep has been changing the lives of families everywhere. This world renowned school allows troubled, tainted children to start anew. Our advanced schooling helps these poor young people enter society as a new, better person._ '

Ness scoffed, ' _What a load of bullshit. I wonder how many kids blew their brains out. Lord knows they won't mention that._ '

He eyed the third section. He saw a row of portraits each accompanied by a wall of text in quotations. He guessed that this must've been a few statements from students. He bit his lip, instantly saddened by it. Those poor girls, he thought. He couldn't imagine how much pain they must've been in. Upon looking into the eyes of the first girl, a young lady who couldn't have been older than seven, he clicked his teeth in pity. Her smile looked perfectly normal, but Ness could see the suffering she must've been going through. He came to the same conclusion with the second girl, and the third. So sad, he thought. It filled him with nothing but disgust. Ness prepared to close the pamphlet and hold it to the candle's flame, getting rid of it forever.

But then, he caught sight of the fourth girl in the list.

He'd almost glazed past her at first. The first thought he had was dismissing it, but he had a quick double take. She didn't look that different from the others, he thought. Same pristine white uniform, same perfectly brushed hair and clearly fake smile. But Ness was shot with an arrow of familiarity. He squinted and leaned in closer. What was it about her, he thought? Needing a better view, he held it closer to the candles. The page was illuminated better, but the flickering and changing motion of the flames made it difficult to keep focus. Ness held up a hand, and on command, the collection of fires froze, now moving incredibly slowly. With a clear view, Ness inspected the page once more.

For some reason, he couldn't tear his eyes away from that girl. Something about her made his stomach drop, and he couldn't put a finger on what it was. Ness felt oddly nauseous. It wasn't that different, was it? All he could see was a young girl, school aged, fair skinned, blond hair tied back in…

"...Pigtails." Ness found himself whispering.

He had the motion of tying pigtails in his muscle memory. He could tie a pair of them in seconds. He'd been able to do it since he was a little kid. Every morning, he would wake up and go downstairs. His mother would already be in the kitchen, dressed in her work uniform and prepared to leave at any second. Ness would take over making breakfast from that point, and he'd receive a quick hug and a 'goodbye', before his mother would leave the house quickly. And for just a few minutes, Ness would be alone downstairs, before the sound of footsteps would alert him.

Ness loudly gasped.

He leapt from the chair and scrambled to his feet. Taking the booklet with him, he sprinted to the far back room of the lower floor. He threw open the door to the mostly empty room, save for one outstanding piece of furniture; a single shelf on the wall. Upon the large shelf was a collection of candles, a string of flowers that Ness watered daily, and most of all, a portrait.

The framed, watercolour portrait of his little sister.

Ness' palm ignited with a bright flame. He brought it up to the picture and was immediately hit with the wave of sadness and grief it always brought. He wished he could remember Tracy's face in real life. In those perfect mornings, he'd hear her rush downstairs. He'd finish making whatever type of breakfast his mother had started. While Tracy was seated in her spot, sitting on top of several cookbooks so that she could reach the table, Ness would be standing right behind her with a pair of hairbands in one hand. In less than fifteen seconds, Ness would tie his sister's blond hair into two neat pigtails.

His breath caught in his throat. Ness gazed into her painted blue eyes, wishing to see their sparkle again. He gripped the pamphlet, knowing what he wanted to do, but not having the strength to. His heart raced with anticipation as he continued to stare down her picture. Slowly, he began to raise the booklet.

' _Stop, Ness. You'll only miss her more._ ' He thought, desperately trying to stop himself, ' _Ness, it's impossible, put the booklet down. Go back and burn the stupid thing. Enough is already happening, Ness. Stop it!_ '

But of course, his body moved on its own accord. Against his own wishes, Ness positioned the booklet next to Tracy's memorial. For what seemed like several minutes, his eyes shifted from one picture to the other. He grit his teeth. They're the same, he thought. They're the goddamn same. Both girls had the same round face, the same blue eyes, the same shade of honey coloured hair. Ness' panicked breathing grew heavier as he began to come to a realization. If he ever had any remaining skepticism, it disappeared when he noticed the finishing blow.

The notch in the eyebrow, he thought. The same small gap in the left eyebrow, when Tracy had run right into a tree and scraped up her face. The scar had never faded. Ness' lungs failed to function as he realized that both girls had the exact same scar. The darkness around him became a cloud of smoke that slowly choked him. Ness stumbled back, his wide, unblinking eyes staring at the ground beneath him. The last time he'd felt like this, he'd been facing Lighter with a knife in his chest. Ness took in another heaving breath.

At an instant, he snapped out of it. Stuffing the booklet into his pocket, Ness sprinted out of the room and nearly tripped as he raced back through the house. He glanced back upstairs, assuring himself that Ninten was asleep. Then again, that didn't matter now.

He had a visit to make.

* * *

When Nancy Wyman groggily approached her door after having to put up with nearly five minutes of insistant knocking, she was just about ready to sock whoever this visitor was in the face. Straightening her housecoat, the irritated woman unlocked her door and threw it open, prepared to chew out the insensitive bastard. However, her anger was quickly replaced with a mix of delight and concern once she saw who it was.

"My Ness!" She happily breathed, voice still quiet from her sleepiness, "My, my, I am happy to see you, darling, but must you visit your poor mother at such a late hour?"

Ness anxiously rushed up to her and settled his hands on her shoulders. His mother wavered a bit, thrown off by his clearly distressed face. Ness got straight to the point.

"Mom, I need to talk to you, _now._ _Right now._ " He demanded, letting himself into the small house. She detected a hint of anger in his voice.

"Oh, dear me, is this something serious?" She asked, as she watched her son wander around the living room to ignite every candle and lantern he saw. He then lit the furnace, which engulfed the entire room in a decent light. Ness faced her, his face dark.

"This is more than just serious. Sit, _please_." He asked, as if restraining himself from losing control.

"Ness, you know I get scared when you act like this…!" His mother hastily rushed to sit down at one of the kitchen chairs. Ness wasted no time sitting across from her. "Ness, please explain yourself. Today has already been eventful enough, and-"

She immediately went dead silent as Ness slammed his hand over the table. Under his palm was a crinkled pamphlet. She recognized the front cover almost instantly and went white in the face. Shuddering, she then slowly looked up at meet Ness' eyes, which were blazing. Her jaw agape, the older woman struggled to come up with anything she could use to detour the conversation. However, Ness clearly had other plans.

"Why is Tracy's picture in this booklet?" Ness asked, flipping it open and jamming a finger into the third page.

His mother continued to be silent. Her previously concerned eyes were now wide and still. Lower lip shaking, she switched her gaze from Ness to the pamphlet. Ness kept looking directly at her, gritting his teeth. She took in a shaky breath, as if bracing herself for what was to come.

"...Wh...Where…" She began, "...Where did you get that, Nesley?"

"A friend of mine found it in Twoson. Don't ignore my question." Ness pleaded, trying to keep his voice soft enough, so as not to frighten his mother, " _Why is Tracy's picture in this booklet?_ "

"You were never supposed to see that..." His mother replied.

"Damn right I wasn't, mom!" Ness suddenly raised his voice, "Six years ago, my little sister ran off in the middle of a storm. And the very next day, you came to me in tears, explaining that the fishermen had found her body. There is something you're not telling me, and I'm going to find out."

"N-Nesley…"

"I mean it, mom! Tell me now! Where is my sister? _Did she or did she not drown in that river?!_ " Ness cried, standing up in his chair.

His mom shrunk back, frightened by her son's sudden rage. Ness took notice and quickly returned to his seat, softening his gaze and holding a hand out to her.

"M-Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you…" He assured, "Please, mom. I'm begging you. Please tell me. Is Tracy alive, or not?"

A long period of silence. His mother stared blankly at the pamphlet on the table, at the girl with the pigtails. She tried to calm herself with steady breathing, but each attempt failed. The years of inner guilt came rushing back up. As her eyes grew hot, she put her hands over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Y-Your sister…" She croaked, "...Your sister is alive, Ness."

"She's…?" Ness breathed, feeling as if he'd just stepped from a blistering desert into a serene field. The sensation that spread through his body was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. He wasn't sure if it was joy, relief, or a mix of both. But the words leaving his mother's mouth were more powerful than even his own PSI. "...Tracy's alive?"

"Yes. My darling, I'm sorry, I…" His mother stuttered, "...I made up the story. I got others to play along, we told you she was gone, so you didn't get hurt."

"Mom, I've _been_ hurt! In my eyes, my little sister was dead, all while she was under my care! Did you not consider that _maybe_ it would fuck me up a little?!"

"Young man, _watch_ your language! It was all I could think of! Lord knows you'd start to ask about where she'd gone! Perhaps it wasn't the best way to get around it, but I wasn't in my right mind!"

" _Where is she?_ " Ness' voice dropped to a near growl. He glanced at the pamphlet, eyes widened in horror, "...I-Is she…? Mom, don't tell me you…?"

His mother bit her lip. The tears in her eyes finally spilled as she broke down, hanging her head and emitting long sobs. Shamefully, she nodded her head.

" _Yes!_ " She admitted, "Yes, I-I sent Tracy to the school."

" _Mom!_ " Ness nearly shrieked, "It's a school that practically tortures its students! Are you saying you'd rather want Tracy to be _brainwashed_ than Psionic?!"

"It was all I could think to do! She...wasn't a normal Psychic, Ness!" His mother shot back, "Tracy took directly after your father in Psionic power!"

"...W-What do you mean?" Ness asked, "Not a ' _normal_ ' Psychic?"

His mother sighed, "...I-I know you never really got to know your father." She began, "I met him in Twoson. We were both there to study Nowherian history. One thing led to another, and...you were born. We decided that he would work out of state to support you and I."

"And?"

"Something you don't know about him is that your father came from...a rather secluded area." His mother hesitated, "...Ness, I want you to recall the refugees you brought into Onett today."

Ness tried to piece together what she was talking about. It only took him about ten seconds before his eyes lit up and his jaw dropped.

"W-Wait...my dad was…?" Ness trailed off, "My dad was from... _Unknown?_ "

"...Yes." His mother nodded, "Yes, your father came from Unknown. He left the village to pursue his own path as a historian. Nonetheless, you have Anti-Psionic blood in your veins."

Ness' body went cold. It all made sense, he thought. No wonder he'd been so keen to learn about Anti-PSI. All those nights he spent reading page after page of those books he'd stolen from Unknown's library, all those nights he spent practicing and practicing. Now he knew why he possessed such a power in the first place. Ness had barely known his father; he'd never been home, and he died while travelling not long after Tracy was born. Ness finally placed the last gear into the contraption, as he realized why his mother had told him this.

"Tracy…" He began, "...Wasn't a normal Psychic at all, wasn't she? Tracy was an Anti-Psychic?"

"Very good." His mother nodded, "Times were different back then, Ness. This was before Anti-PSI was more widely accepted. Many viewed it as a type of dark magic rather than actual PSI. You were lucky enough to inherit my PSI rather than your father's. But...when your sister's aura appeared, and I realized she possessed the same dark energy as your dad, well...I enrolled her in the academy. If she remained in Onett with such powers, she would face a life of taunting and misery. I figured...I'd rather have a child live amoung humans safely than amoung her own kind in constant suffering. I knew that you and my fellow villagers would only view me with disgust at my decision, so I bribed a few fishermen and faked her death. Nowadays, she remains at the school. When she turns eighteen, she will be allowed into society as her own woman. Never to return to Onett, but to live in human civilization."

Ness stared at his parent in utter disbelief. Words couldn't describe the emotion he felt.

"Mom, do you not understand what you've done?" Ness whispered, "Tracy's mind is being broken as we speak! It may already be gone!"

"As I said, Nesley! Had she stayed here, she would have been rejected! How was I to know that Anti-PSI would eventually become accepted when Madame Kumatora was elected? I can't just take her out of the school!"

Ness stood up, nearly knocking over the chair.

"You right. You can't just take her out of there." He snarled, before advancing to the doorway, "But she's got a big brother who would do just about anything to do just that."

"N-Ness, darling-!" His mother shot up and followed him. Ness threw the door open and faced her. She continued, "I-I'm sorry I never told you, I never thought you'd find out…!"

"Yeah, well, I _did._ And I don't know about you, but I _care_ about Tracy!" Ness exclaimed, "I don't care what it takes. I don't care if you try and stop me. I'm getting my little sister."

He began to walk away.

"Ness!" His mother called. Ness sharply turned, prepared to shut down any argument she had on stopping him. However, she paused for just a moment. Her hands trembling, she gripped the collar of her housecoat. She sniffled. "...B-Be careful."

Ness went still. He hadn't been expecting that. Shocked at her response, he pretended to brush it off casually. He hastily nodded. Without another word, he yanked back his sleeves and turned around again, taking off into the night. He didn't spare his mother another glance.

Tracy was alive, Ness thought over and over again. Everything he'd come to know was a lie. Tracy was alive. She was alive somewhere. Perhaps she was suffering, perhaps her young brain was being twisted and manipulated. But somewhere, Tracy Wyman was alive and breathing. Ness couldn't help the overflow of tears that came streaming down his face as he ran back to his house. His sister was okay, he thought. She'd never drowned. She'd never been found in a lake. He couldn't wait any longer.

' _I'm sorry, Lucas._ ' Ness thought as he spotted his house. ' _I have to be a bad friend at the moment._ '

Ness burst through the door of his house and raced up the stairs. He knew exactly what he needed to do. He turned a sharp corner, ran down the hallway, and didn't even bother knocking when he opened the door to the room Ninten was in. Ness had already made his way towards the bed, ready to shake his friend awake. But the first thing he saw was an empty space and the odd lack of any sheets. Then, he saw the shape near the window.

He and Ninten instantly made eye contact. Ninten was crouched near the window, gripping something white in his hands. It was an escape rope made of several sheets tied together at the ends, which he'd tossed over the window sill. Ninten immediately froze up, realizing he'd been caught in the act. He let go of the sheet and scrambled away from the window.

"I-I…!" Ninten began, "...I called for you, and you weren't home! S-So, I...I disobeyed."

Ninten confidently raised his head with a defiant look in his eye. He continued.

"I won't just stand by and do nothing! My leader is out there, putting himself in danger! I don't care if he gave me an order, I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect him! And you cannot stop me! My apologies, but I am going to go after my leader!" Ninten declared.

"You don't need the window to do that, the front door is right down there. Also, wait for me to get my coat on, at least." Ness replied.

" _Just_ as I thought! Well, I'm not listening to you! Try all you wish, but-" Ninten went silent, furrowing his brow, "...Wait, what?"

"Get dressed. Get your things together, then, meet me downstairs." Ness said.

Ninten blinked, unsure of what exactly to say. Ness shook his head.

"I'll explain later," Ness said, "Just hurry up. We leave tonight."

The shocked look on Ninten's face morphed into a delighted grin. Ninten bowed his head, "Alright. Give me ten minutes max."

"Five."

"Excited, are we?"

"Four."

"Alright, alright, four minutes. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Ness stopped as he turned to face the door. He smirked and looked back over his shoulder.

"I'll explain everything later. I guess we all have someone to save." Ness replied, "Now, hurry up. What Claus doesn't know won't hurt him. I guess I wouldn't mind going on another little adventure."


End file.
